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THE HISTORY 



OJr 



Heidelberg College, 



t^;<j, ^ H "'° 



INCLUDING 



BACCALAUREATE ADDRESSES AND SERMONS. 

BY 
/ 

Rev. Geo. W. Willi ard, D. D., 

President of Heidelberg College. 



! ^o..J±U.. 



CINCINNATI: 

Elm Street Printing Company, Nos. 176 & 178 Elm Street. 

1879. 



«3» 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, b Y 

GEO. W. WILLIARD, D. D., 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



TO 

THE JZLUtfJTI, STUQEJTTS, 
AND FRIENDS OF HEIDELBERG COLLEGE, 

This Book is Respectfully Dedicated, 

With the Sincere Regards of 

The Author. 



jNTI\ODUCTION, 



What Solomon said, centuries ago, that of 'making many books there 
is no end, is especially true of the age in which we live. There has, 
perhaps, never been a time of such intellectual activity as at present. 
Books of every kind, and upon the greatest variety of subjects, are 
literally flooding the land, so that we are naturally led to ask, Where 
will the end be? 

In the midst of this excess of literature the Reformed Church, 
and our institutions at Tiffin in particular, have been so quiet and 
reserved that some may be tempted to ask, Can any thing good 
come from this source? Be this as it may, we have taken up our 
pen to write the history of Heidelberg College, which, although of 
modest pretensions, feels that it has the right to tell the story of its 
struggles and triumphs. Having been connected with it for nearly 
fourteen years as its President, and having taken an active part in 
all that has been done to place it upon a sure and permanent 
foundation, the desire has been expressed by a number of friends 
that we should undertake the work. 

What has thus far been written, concerning our institutions at 
Tiffin, has been in a fragmentary form in the reports published from 
year to year in the Minutes of Synod, and in articles found in the 
periodicals of the Church. Our object will be to gather and repro- 
duce, in a regular and consecutive form, the facts contained in these 
documents, and in this way rescue from oblivion many things of 
special interest, which might otherwise soon be forgotten. How 
well we may perform this difficult task the reader must judge. 
Should we, however, fail to meet the expectations that may be 
formed, our work will not be lost, as what we write will furnish 
material for some future historian to complete what we have imper- 
fectly begun. 

But is there, some one may ask, material sufficient for a history of 
Heidelberg College ? This will be answered in the book herewith 
presented to the public. It is presumable, however, that if we 
have histories of families, corporations, banks, towns, cities, and 
communities, that thirty years' continuous educational work in Hei- 

(vi) 



INTRODUCTION. Vll 

delberg College, in the midst of encouragements and discourage- 
ments, ought to furnish something that would possess interest to 
those at least who have watched its progress and aided in its support. 

The Church, under whose fostering care Heidelberg College has 
maintained itself for more than a quarter of a century, has a right 
to know what has been done with the funds which it has so gener- 
ously contributed to its support ; and those who have shared in its 
beneficence ought to take pleasure in showing that the results are 
Commensurate with the outlay. 

The book consists of three parts : The first gives the history of 
Heidelberg College ; the second, contains the Baccalaureate Sermons 
preached to the graduating classes under our administration; and 
the third, short biographies of the alumni whose names are on the 
Necrological List 

The rapid increase of colleges in America is a matter of astonish- 
ment to all who have given it the least attention. There is nothing 
like it in the history of any other nation. Many in the Old World, 
where a few universities absorb the higher educational interests, are 
disposed to think that there must necessarily be great superficiality 
where there are so many colleges as we have. That we should have, 
in less than two hundred years, more than this number of colleges, 
and that Ohio alone should have over thirty, all of which are doing a 
good work, is wonderful, and affords a striking proof of the energy, 
enterprise, and liberality of our people, and of the interest taken in 
the cause of education. 

To the Synod of Ohio, at least, the history of Heidelberg' College 
ought to have special interest, as if is the creature of its own hand 
and the center of its educational work. No other institution may 
be expected to grow up by its side. To give it the efficiency, there- 
fore, which it ought to have as its main institution, so that it may 
be a credit and honor to the Church, and subserve, in the highest 
degree, the purpose of its founders, should be the one great object 
in view. Much has been done already in this respect. A good 
foundation has been laid, as will be shown in these pages, so that if 
we continue to go forward in the line of advancement the outcome 
will be all that can be reasonably expected. 

The Sermons and Addresses which form the Second Part of the 
book, whilst they have a special interest for the alumni and students 
of the College, who heard them at the Annual Commencements 
when they were first delivered, will also, it is hoped, have some 
interest for those who were not present at the time. The subjects 



Vlll INTRODUCTION. 

discussed are of a practical character, and will be found adapted to 
the young in the varied circumstances of life, whether they have 
enjoyed the advantage of a collegiate education or not. The object 
had in view in their preparation was to guard and fortify those to 
whom they were originally addressed, against the dangers by which 
they would be beset, and to give them such counsels and helps, 
starting as they were on the highway of life, as might encourage 
them to the performance of whatever is right, good and manly, so 
as to attain the true end of their being. 

The age in which we live has peculiar temptations to the young. 
They come in such a variety of forms, and with so many attractions 
around them, that not a few of our most promising* young men are 
deceived and ensnared by them and led in the way of the destroyer. 
It is really sad to see what wrecks lie along the pathway of life — 
wrecks, not of ships or palaces that have been broken and shattered 
by the fury of the wind, but wrecks of immortal beings, created 
only a little lower than the angels — who might, if they had avoided 
the dangers and perils of the voyage, have attained a life of endless 
glory and felicity in the kingdom of God. Any one who can say 
a word to avoid such a catastrophe, and help to keep the youth of 
the day in the path of virtue, may be regarded as a benefactor of 
his race. 

The Third Part contains short biographical notices of those alumni, 
whose names are on the Necrological List, of whom there are fif- 
teen. This part has been added at the suggestion of a number of 
friends, who have thought that such respect to the departed would 
be a fitting conclusion to the book. In this we heartily concur. 

*We would also, here, take occasion to return our thanks to those 
whose names are connected with these memorials, for the aid they 
gave us in their preparation. In a few instances, they are given as 
they were sent to us, whilst, in others, we have taken the liberty of 
making such changes and additions, as we felt warranted in doing, 
from our own personal knowledge of the departed. 

Conscious of the imperfections of the book, we have written amid 
the pressing duties of our position, and indulging the hope that the 
College, in whose interest we have spent years of hard labor, may, 
in some degree, be advanced by it, we now send it out upon its 
mission, with the prayer that the blessing of God may accompany 
it, so that it may accomplish the end for which it was written. 

Tiffin,. Ohio. Oct., 1879. 



FIRST PART. 



THUS 



History of Meidelbef^g College. 



ORIGIN AND ftAME. 

Heidelberg College was founded in 1850, under 
the direction and auspices of the Synod of Ohio of 
the Reformed Church in the United States. It is, 
therefore, like nearly all the colleges of our country, 
the daughter of the Church, which has always been 
active in establishing and maintaining institutions of 
learning. There is no antagonism between Chris- 
tianity and Education. Any one acquainted with 
the history of the past knows that the Church has 
been, and still is, the greatest patron of learning; 
and that it has done more for its advancement than 
all other causes combined. 

The fathers of our country, who were men of 
faith and piety, were deeply impressed with the im- 
portance of providing good educational facilities for 
their children, as the best means of maintaining and 
transmitting their civil and religious privileges and 
liberty to those who would come after them. The 
Church, they plainly saw, needed an educated min- 
istry in order that it might thrive and flourish Hence 
they founded colleges at an early day, with the spe- 
cial design of raising up a ministry adapted to its 
wants. 

Experience has clearly demonstrated that they 

(9) 



IO THE HISTORY OF 

were right in their convictions, and that no denom- 
ination can perpetuate itself, and do the work as- 
signed it, if it has no institutions of its own. For 
one Church to depend on others to do its educational 
work does not only show a lack of energy and inter- 
est in its own well-being, but is adopting a measure 
that will gradually, but surely, result in the loss of 
its own peculiar life, and thereby forfeit its claim to 
a separate existence. 

This the Reformed Church in the West saw and 
felt, but how to prevent it was a difficult problem for 
it to solve. The way did not seem prepared for it to 
go forward in the establishment .of an institution. 
The enterprise seemed too formidable to undertake 
with the means at hand. Unfortunately, the Church 
was also divided upon the subject, some being of the 
opinion that, as the College and Seminary, located 
at Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, were crippled in their 
operations for the want of funds, it would be folly 
for the Church in the West, weak and small as it was, 
to undertake the founding of institutions. Their 
advice, therefore, in the circumstances of the case, 
was, for our young men wishing to prepare them- 
selves for the ministry to go East, and in this way 
unite our strength, and have one good institution, 
which would be better than to have two that would 
drag out a sickly existence. This advice, although 
it seemed to have force, did not satisfy all concerned, 
and put a quietus to the subject. Few young men 
went East to study, and only a few were willing to 
come West and endure the hardships and privations 
of a missionary life. The Synod of Ohio, at length, 
seeing that its wants could never be met in this way, . 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. II 

and that its territory and material were being ab- 
sorbed by other churches, resolved, in the name of 
God, after agitating the subject for years, to go for- 
ward in the establishment of a College and Theo- 
logical Seminary to meet its growing wants. 

Nor did it resolve upon the measure too soon, as 
nothing could be gained by delay. Better, perhaps, 
would it have been if it had gone forward earlier, 
as it is probable that more young men would have 
given themselves to the work of the ministry, and 
those who did would have been better prepared than 
they were by studying privately. As it is, we 
may hope that the Providence of God was in it, and 
that the institutions thus founded were of his own 
planting. 

The College was formally opened on the 18th 
of November, 1850, with seven students, in rooms 
rented for the purpose, on the third floor of what 
was known as "Commercial Row," in the city of 
Tiffin, from which it will be seen that the beginning 
was very small ; and yet, although it was small at the 
start, and the accommodations poor, it was soon ap- 
parent that a school of a high grade of scholarship 
was needed in the community, and would receive a 
liberal patronage. Friends began to rally around it; 
the hopes of its founders were strengthened, and 
things began to look as if something would come 
out of the small beginning that was made. Accord- 
ing to the Catalogue of 18 50-1, the first year of its 
history, there were 149 students enrolled, which was 
regarded as a fair showing. 

And yet, much as there was in all this to inspire 
hope, there was at the same time ground for misgiv- 



12 THE HISTORY OF 

ings. The College, although in operation, had no 
buildings or rooms of its own for recitation, or the 
accommodation of students; it had no endowment 
from which it might draw support; its income was 
insufficient to meet its liabilities ; the teaching force 
was small and insufficient to give the instruction the 
thoroughness and breadth of a first-class institution ; 
the salary which it promised its professors was small, 
with a poor prospect of being paid punctually; in 
short, the financial outlook was discouraging. And 
yet its friends, instead of despairing, clung to it with 
ardent devotion, in the confident hope that it would 
succeed in the face of all these discouragements. 
Nor were they disappointed, for their hopes have 
been more than realized. The Church has reaped a 
rich harvest in the educational facilities which the 
College has offered, and the increase it has given to 
the ranks of the ministry, which have been filled 
with men well qualified for the work to which, they 
have been called. 

The name Heidelberg, by which the College has 
always been known, was given by the Synod of Ohio, 
at its annual meeting in Navarre, September, 1850, 
when it changed the location of the College from 
Tarlton to Tiffin. The name was at once acknowl- 
edged by the Church, and regarded appropriate in 
view of its historic significance, having been the 
name, of the celebrated University of the city of 
Heidelberg, in the old country, which stood in very 
intimate relations to the mother Church, and as 
being the name by which the Catechism of the Re- 
formed Church has been known for more than three 
centuries. 



- HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 3 

THE LOCATION. 

In a matter of such importance as the location of 
a college it is generally the case that there are many 
views entertained, and no little conflict of opinion. 
Fortunately, in the present instance, there were only 
three places proposed, which had the effect of keep- 
ing the Synod united, more than if there had been 
many competing for the prize. Other places were 
spoken of privately, but inasmuch as they made no 
special offer they were not taken into consideration. 

In the early part of the year 1850, certain parties 
interested in the establishment of a College for the 
Reformed Church in the West had a special meet- 
ing of the Synod of Ohio called, in Tarlton, to take 
into consideration proposals for its location, believ- 
ing that the time had come for definite action. This 
sudden and unexpected call for a special Synod for 
such an important object was regarded by many as 
premature and ill-advised. The measure, in their 
view, was too far-reaching in its consequences to be 
sprung upon the Church in this way. More time 
should be taken, so that whatever action might be 
resolved upon might be wisely considered. Yet the 
meeting was held, and a tolerably fair attendance 
was on hand, made up chiefly of those living near 
by. The Synod proceeded to consider the proposals 
sent in for the permanent location of its institutions. 

The first was from the trustees of Worthington 
College, located about eight miles north of Colum- 
bus. This institution had been started, years before, 
by Bishop Chase, of the Episcopal Church, and had 
failed in consequence of a removal to Gambie'r, 
Knox County, Ohio. The land and buildings, w r orth 



14 THE HISTORY OF 

about $6,000, still remained. These were offered to 
the Synod by the trustees in case it would locate its 
institutions here. The offer had much in its favor; 
for, had the Synod accepted it, it would have had 
the necessary outfit to commence operations at once. 
Besides, the location so near the capital of the State 
had much to commend it. 

The second proposal was from the citizens of Tarl- 
ton, a quiet and retired village about six miles from 
Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio, offering ten acres 
of land, valued at $800, and subscriptions to the 
amount of $7,200. This offer, likewise, had much 
in its favor, as the location was in the heart of the 
Church; and the High School, which had been es- 
tablished here by Rev. S. S. Rickley, was to be trans- 
ferred to the Synod, so that a number of students 
were present with which to start. 

The Synod, after mature deliberation, accepted the 
offer from Tarlton, and located its institutions at this 
point, giving the name of " Tarlton College " to the 
literary department. The preliminary steps were 
taken for the erection of the necessary buildings, 
and Rev. S. S. Rickley elected President pro tern. 
The friends of the movement were elated at their 
success, and anticipated great results. But their 
joy was of short continuance; for it was soon appar- 
ent that a decided reaction had taken place in the 
Church, and that great dissatisfaction was felt with 
what was regarded as the hasty and premature ac- 
tion of the special Synod. 

The Rev. H. Shaull and others, seeing the dissatis- 
faction which prevailed at the location of the institu- 
tions at Tarlton, induced the citizens of Tiffin and 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 5 

vicinity to get up a proposal in behalf of Tiffin. 
The suggestion was favorably received. Subscrip- 
tions were immediately circulated in the city and 
county, so that, when the Synod of Ohio met in 
annual .session, in Navarre, the 26th of September, 
1850, about five months after the special Synod, a 
proposal of $11,000 in negotiable notes was made, 
on the condition that the Synod would transfer her 
institutions from Tarlton to Tiffin, Ohio. This natu- 
rally opened the whole subject anew. The induce- 
ment of several thousand dollars over the former 
offers was tempting to the Synod in its great finan- 
cial embarrassment. The subject was discussed at 
great length ; and, when the vote was taken, it was 
decided, with only one dissenting voice, to accept the 
offer from Tiffin. A committee was appointed to go 
to Tarlton and confer with its citizens on the subject 
of the transfer, and request their consent to the ac- 
tion of the Synod. An amicable adjustment was 
subsequently made by the Synod paying $300 dam- 
ages. This ended the discussion as far as the loca- 
tion was concerned. Occasionally dissatisfaction was 
expressed with Tiffin, as being too far remote 
from the center of the Synod; but, nothing being 
done in the matter, the Church soon acquiesced in 
the decision of the Synod, and recognized Tiffin as 
the center of its educational interests. 

Looking back, as -we now do, over the changes 
that have taken place since the location was made, 
we can see the wisdom evinced in the selection of 
Tiffin in preference either to Worthington or Tarl- 
ton, as it has grown much more rapidly, and has 
railroad facilities which neither of the other places 



1 6 THE HISTORY OF 

has. The Church has also acquired considerable 
strength in the adjoining counties, so that the insti- 
tutions are not so isolated, or so much at one side 
of its territory, as was the case thirty years ago. 
Taking everything, therefore, into consideration, it 
may be regarded as a fortunate circumstance that 
the College was located where it is. 

Tiffin may indeed be said to have special advant- 
ages as a seat of learning. It is the county seat of 
Seneca, one of the most fertile and productive coun- 
ties of the State, which has the honor of having, 
several times of late years, produced the largest 
yield of wheat of any county in the great State of 
Ohio. It has an intelligent and enterprising popu- 
lation of ten thousand inhabitants ; it is beautifully 
situated on the banks of the Sandusky River, which 
runs through it, and is only thirty miles south of 
Lake Erie, and ten from the noted Sulphur Springs, 
lying about a half mile north of Green Springs ; it 
has quite a number of manufacturing establishments ; 
has fine water power, and may become one of the 
most enterprising inland cities of the State. The 
city and county alone possess a population sufficient 
to give a good support to the College. It is only a 
short distance from Toledo on the west, Sandusky 
City on the north, Mansfield on the east, and Bucy- 
rus, Upper Sandusky, and Kenton on the south. It 
is also quite healthy, the country having been thor- 
oughly drained; and, as a natural consequence, is 
free from the malaria, with which it, in common with 
many portions of the West, was infected when first 
settled. As a proof of this, there has been only 
one case of serious sickness among" the students in 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 7 

attendance on the College for the last thirteen years ; 
and no death of any student while at College since 
its location in 1850. It is also easily accessible from 
all points by means of the Cincinnati, Sandusky and 
Cleveland; the Toledo, Tiffin and Eastern; and Bal- 
timore, Pittsburg and Chicago Railroads, which run 
through it, and which make close connection with 
the other main routes of travel running east and west, 
north and south. 

THE CAMPUS. 

After the location of the College was fixed, it 
was thought desirable to have a General Convention 
of the Synod, in Tiffin, on the 14th of December, 
1850, for the purpose of selecting a site and getting 
things generally in shape, so as to make as fair a 
start as possible. No less than eleven sites, lying 
north, east, west and south of Tiffin, were offered. 
As might be expected, much diversity of sentiment 
prevailed. Each site had its admirers and friends, 
and each owner was anxious to sell. Whilst discuss- 
ing the general subject, Rev. H. Shaull jocularly 
remarked, that as the Mad River and Lake Erie 
Railroad, the first that was built in the State, ran 
along by the side of the site on which the College 
now stands, it might be well to select it, so that, in 
case it would not succeed in Tiffin, it might more 
easily be put on the cars and shipped to some other 
place. Whether this had any effect on the minds 
of the members of the Synod or not, we will not 
pretend to say. The site, however, was chosen, 
and five acres of ground were purchased of Josiah 
Hedges, Esq., for #1,000, as the place on which the 
College was to be built. 



1 8 THE HISTORY OF 

Those who only know the campus as it now is, or 
has been within the last twelve or fifteen years, can 
have no idea of the improvement that has been made. 
Tiffin, in 1850, was small, had but few walks, and 
streets which were almost impassable at certain sea- 
sons of the year. The site selected for the College, 
although only about five squares from the center of 
the city, was inclosed with a rail fence, and had one 
thorn bush on it which is still standing as a monu- 
ment of its former desolation. Nor had the other 
sites more to recommend them, so that there is no 
wonder the members of the Synod were at a great 
loss to know how to decide. The selection, how- 
ever, was a good one, as all are now ready to admit. 
Lots were immediately purchased around the cam- 
pus by the professors and others; a number of good 
houses were built in a few years, and everything be- 
gan to assume a pleasant and inviting appearance. 

The Professors and Board of Trustees being slow 
to improve the grounds, and the students feeling the 
need of more shade than the thorn bush just refer- 
red to afforded, went out one night to a neighboring 
grove, with their youthful pranks, cut down a num- 
ber of saplings, brought them in on their shoulders, 
and stuck them in the ground all over the campus. 
The professors, as might be expected, smiled and 
rejoiced the next morning over the sudden appear- 
ance of the shade trees that dotted the campus. The 
hint was a good one, for soon groups of evergreens 
and other trees were planted, which added much to 
the general appearance of things. 

In 1867, three and one-third acres of land, lying 
between the campus and Hedge Street, were pur- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 19 

chased, by the Board of Trustees, of Wm. A. Arm- 
strong and wife, who generously donated $400 in 
the transaction to the College. By means of this pur- 
chase the campus was greatly enlarged, so that it 
now contains over eight acres of ground, and is 
surrounded on all sides by streets. We have yet 
a vivid recollection of the unfavorable impression 
made upon us when we came to Tiffin, in 1866, on 
seeing the small stalks of corn, and the cold, blue, 
wet sod of the ground we purchased the next year. 
Had Mr. Armstrong offered it as a gift, on the con- 
dition that we should build and reside upon it, we 
would have hesitated about accepting ; and yet we 
were soon led to see that, by filling up certain parts 
and underdraining it, it could be made a lovely 
place, as it now is, and therefore urged the purchase 
of it 

In 1877-8 several hundred trees were set out over 
the campus. A number of the students became in- 
terested in the improvement and rendered valuable 
aid. The Freshman Class, taking a fancy to the 
name of Orgeterix, of whom they had been reading 
in Caesar, set a number of trees in a circle, making 
the O stand for Orgeterix. Other trees were set 
in the shape of the letter F, as a memento of the 
then Freshman Class, which graduated in 1872. 
We have a pleasant recollection of the youthful 
sport and pleasantry with which the work wasodone. 
These trees are growing rapidly, and already give 
the campus the appearance of a shady retreat — such 
as Plato and Aristotle were wont to resort to with 
their schools. 

A little later, the Excelsior and Heidelberg Lit- 



20 THE HISTORY OF 

erary Societies of the College resolved to erect a 
rockery and lay out several flower beds on the cam- 
pus, which they did very tastefully. These were 
kept up for several years, and were much admired 
by visitors. Their successors not having the same 
zeal and taste, they have received but little atten- 
tion for the last few years ; and, as a necessary con- 
sequence, do not have the attraction they once had. 

The Class of 1876 planted an evergreen tree in 
connection with their class-day exercises ; the Class 
of 1878 also planted a tree, both of which are grow- 
ing; whilst the Class of 1879 erected a beautiful 
marble sun-dial. These mementos are all in the 
campus, near the College Building, and are ornaments 
to the grounds, and will suggest pleasant recollec- 
tions to those who left them to perpetuate their con- 
nection with their Alma Mater, which will in turn 
hold them in equally pleasant remembrance. 

Walks and pavements have been made, which 
have added both to the convenience and appearance 
of the grounds. Considering the small amount of 
means which have been at the disposal of the Fac- 
ulty for the improvement of the campus, it must be 
a matter of surprise to those who visit it that it has 
the attractions it has, which are due in a great meas- 
ure to the voluntary and gratuitous labor of profess- 
ors and students. Located, as it is, on an eminence, 
from which there is a beautiful view of the city and 
adjacent country, it can be made a most lovely spot 
at an expense of a few hundred dollars, if they were 
only in hand. We would here remark, as Socrates 
is reported to have said in the hearing of certain 
wealthy Athenians, that he would wear a better cloak 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 21 

if some one would furnish the means to purchase it ; 
so, if some Alumnus, or friend of the College, will 
be generous enough to give the money, we will see 
that it is strictly expended in the improvement of the 
campus. 

ORGANIZATION AND COURSES OF STUDY. 

The Board of Trustees, as elected by the Synod of 
Ohio in September, 1850, with authority to have the 
College incorporated by the General Assembly of 
the State of Ohio, and to adopt such measures as 
would be necessary to put it in successful operation, 
was composed of the following gentlemen : R. W. 
Shawhan, Wm. H. Gibson, H. Shaull, Wm. Barrick, 
Henry St. John, Joel W. Wilson, Lewis Baltzell, 
Rob. Crum, Fred. Wahl, Dennis C. Stoner, J. H. 
Good, Geo. W. Williard, E. V. Gerhart, Jesse Steiner, 
Jacob Kroh, S. B. Leiter, D. Kemmerer, and H. K. 
Baines. The Board thus elected met in the Reformed 
Church of Tiffin, Ohio, on the 23d of October fol- 
lowing, and, after being organized by the election of 
a President, Secretary, and Treasurer, proceeded 
to the transaction of the business committed to its 
care. 

The act of the General Assembly of Ohio, by 
which the College was incorporated under the name 
of Heidelberg College, was passed on the 13th of Feb- 
ruary, 185 1, and gave the College the right of hold- 
ing a certain amount of property, and of adopting 
such a course of instruction and rules as would be 
deemed proper and necessary to carry out most 
effectually the object for which it was established. 

Certain changes have been made from time to 
time in the constitution of the Board of Trustees, 



22 THE HISTORY OF 

which is now, and has been for some ten years past, 
composed of twenty-four members, six of whom are 
elected annually by the Synod of Ohio of the Re- 
formed Church, and serve four years. 

There were six courses of study laid down in the 
curriculum originally by the Trustees and Faculty, 
and published for several years in the Catalogue — 
the Classical, Scientific, Normal, Ladies', Farmers', 
each four years, and the Academic, two years. 
This, although broad and comprehensive, was soon 
found to be impracticable, as it undertook more than 
the College was able to do with the limited teaching 
force it had. Hence the Normal, Ladies', and Farm- 
ers* courses were soon dropped, and the studies which 
they contained were merged in the other courses, so 
that there were in reality in the College proper only 
two courses (the Classical and Scientific), which have 
been kept up to the present time. 

The following statement from the Catalogue of 
1850 and 185 1, the first that was published, will give 
the reader an idea of what the founders of Heidel- 
berg College contemplated in its establishment: "It 
is our intention/' they say, "to establish Heidelberg 
College upon a broad and comprehensive basis. This 
will be done, not by sweeping alterations in the usual 
collegiate course, nor by the substitution of new 
studies in the place of that comprehensive cultus 
that has hitherto been regarded as the proper foun- 
dation of a liberal education ; but by the establish- 
ment of additional courses of instruction, designed 
to meet the peculiar wants of the different classes of 
the community; thus bringing within the reach of 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 23 

all an appropriate, and, as far as possible, a thorough 
education.'' 

The design, as thus expressed, of adapting the 
course of instruction in Heidelberg College to the 
wants of the community at large has been kept con- 
stantly in view by those who have had the manage- 
ment of its affairs, and it is believed that this has 
been done without in the least impairing its thor- 
oughness. 

And although the Normal Department has not 
been kept up as a distinct and separate course, yet 
such special instruction has been given in those 
branches connected with the profession of teaching 
that the College has prepared and sent out many of 
the best and most successful teachers employed in 
the public schools of Seneca and adjoining counties, 
and has in this way advanced the cause of education 
in the community in which it is located. 

The Faculty, as constituted when the College was 
organized, consisted of the following persons : 

Rev. E. V. GERHART, A. M., President, 
And Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy, and Evi- 
dences of Christianity, 

Rev. J. H. GOOD, A. M., 
Professor of Mathematics and Mechanical Philosophy. 

Rev. S. S. RICKLEY, A. M., 
Professor of the Theory and Practice of Teaching. 

Rev. R. GOOD, A. M., 
Rector of the Preparatory Department. 

Mrs. A. M. LEE, 
Principal of the Female Department. 

From the array of names thus given it would 
seem that the College started with a good teaching 
force. This, however, was not the case, as the 



24 THE HISTORY OF 

President elect and Rev. S. S. Rickley, who was at 
the time Superintendent of the Public Schools of 
Tiffin, did but little teaching the first year, so that 
the main work fell upon Revs. R. and J. H. Good 
and Mrs. Lee. 

During the early part of the history of the College 
special attention was given to the Academic Depart- 
ment. This arose chiefly from the fact that the 
teaching force was too small to give the time required 
to all the classes. There were in fact only a few in 
the higher classes. The number of graduates for 
fifteen years was small, no class having more than 
four, and often less. Gradually, however, things 
began to improve, additional professors were em- 
ployed, and the courses of study made more com- 
plete; the result of which was the college classes 
began to fill up and attract more attention, which led 
the professors to devote themselves more fully to 
their several departments in the College, which now 
began to assume more importance. 

For a number of years the Academy was con- 
ducted altogether by the Professors of the College, 
each one taking the studies that belonged to his 
department. Whilst this gave thoroughness to the 
instruction it left the Academy without that special 
oversight necessary to its greatest success. The 
Board of Trustees seeing this, and being desirous of 
giving greater prominence to the Academy, resolved, 
at its annual meeting in 1879, to ca U a Principal to 
this department, so that it might have that thorough- 
ness and attention which would not only secure it a 
larger patronage, but also, make it a good feeder for 
the College. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 2$ 

The course of instruction in the Academy com- 
prises two years, and has been so arranged as to pre- 
pare the pupil for admission into either of the courses 
of the College proper. Much, however, depends on 
the advantages which the pupil has enjoyed and the 
progress he has made. With the excellent facilities 
offered in our public schools for obtaining a good 
elementary education, young gentlemen and ladies 
ought to be prepared in them for admission to the 
Freshman Class of the Scientific Course. It is differ- 
ent, however, with the Classical Course, as but little 
attention is ordinarily given to Greek or Latin in the 
public schools. 

The Classical Course, which is taught in all col- 
leges, and is in some the only course, comprises a 
period of four years. The experience and testimony 
of the best educators is that this course is best 
adapted to the development and discipline of the 
mind. The great majority of the best scholars and 
writers have taken this course, and it no doubt had 
much to do in giving them the intellectual superior- 
ity they had. Heidelberg College has always laid 
stress on this course as preferable to all others, and 
has urged upon those who can not complete it to 
take it regular as far as they go. 

The Scientific Course, which has been changed 
from four to three years, was provided for those 
w r hose circumstances will not allow them to complete 
the Classical Course, and goes upon the assumption 
that it is better for them to pursue their studies reg- 
ularly than otherwise. It gives special attention 
to the Sciences, leaving the study of the Classics 



26 THE HISTORY OF 

optional with the student, whether he takes them at 
all, or to what extent. 

Those who have finished the Classical Course, and 
stood an approved examination, receive the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts, whilst those who have taken 
the Scientific Course receive the degree of Bachelor 
of Science, and if they continue to pursue their 
studies in either course for three years after gradua- 
tion, and maintain a good moral character, they 
receive on application the advanced degree of Master 
of Arts, or Science, according to the course they have 
taken. 

Those wishing to enter the Freshman Class of the 
Classical Course must be qualified to stand an 
approved examination in English Grammar, Analy- 
sis, Geography, History of the United States, Arith- 
metic, Algebra, Latin Grammar, Caesar, Greek 
Grammar, Greek Reader, and Xenophon. Those 
who enter the Scientific Course are examined in the 
same studies, Analysis, Greek and Latin excepted. 
Fair equivalents will be accepted. 

The optional system, which allows each student 
to follow his own predilections, and take just such 
studies as he has the most relish for, has not been 
encouraged by the authorities of the College, who 
look upon it as a false theory of education, and as 
attended with poor results. Young men, in going to 
College, are not, as a rule, the best judges as to 
what they ought to study, and especially is it pre- 
posterous for them to set up their judgment against 
the experience of the past, which has laid down 
certain courses of study as best fitted to quicken 
and develop the mind in the most healthy and 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 2/ j 

symmetrical manner. It is in education, as in every 
thing else, that certain rules and principles are to be 
observed, and that those who conform most rigidly 
to them accomplish the greatest results in the end, 
whilst those who deviate from them fail in the object 
they have in view. Hence the Faculty of Heidel- 
berg College has uniformly tried to prevail upon the 
students in attendance to take one or the other of 
the courses laid down in the curriculum , and that if 
they can not complete either, to take them regu- 
larly as far as they go. 

BUILDINGS. 

Among the first and most pressing wants which 
the College had was that of a building. To be per- 
manent and command respect it was necessary that 
it should have a settled habitation. All felt that it 
could not get along in rooms rented for its use. 
But how were buildings, such as were needed, to be 
erected when there were no funds at hand for this 
purpose was a question hard to solve ? The outlook 
was anything but encouraging. Besides, the Church, 
under whose auspices the College had been started, 
and from which it was expected to receive its main 
support, was in no condition to give much material 
aid. Most of its congregations were small, and had 
hard work to maintain themselves. Its territory was 
mostly missionary ground. A large portion of its 
members had only recently moved from the East to 
the West, as Ohio, Indiana and Illinois were then 
regarded, and were still in debt for their homes. 
Nor were there at this time in the Synod of Ohio 
men of princely fortune, who could be expected to 
give largely for this purpose. The enterprise of 



28 THE HISTORY OF 

erecting a building for the College, if it was to 
succeed, could only be done by small contributions 
gathered from its friends, a slow and tedious process 
in a work of such magnitude. Yet the necessity was 
here. To falter, or defer the work, would be calcu- 
lated to dampen the zeal and ardor of those who had 
come to look favorably upon the beginning that was 
made. Hence the only alternative was to go for- 
ward and do the best they could under the circum- 
stances. The plan of the main building was adopted, 
which was to be one hundred and four feet in length 
and sixty-four in depth, except the wings, which are 
forty-seven feet deep ; to be built of brick, four and 
a half stories high, with a chapel, recitation rooms, 
society halls, rooms for the libraries, cabinet, phil- 
osophical instruments, and for the accommodation 
of students. The undertaking, it must be confessed, 
was a big one with the means at hand. And what 
added to the difficulty was the fact that many who 
had given their notes to secure the location had in 
their zeal gone beyond their ability and could not 
pay their subscriptions. Yet the work was begun, 
and went on rather slowly. In the summer of 185 1 
the foundation was laid. The stone wall was then 
covered to protect it from the frost, and permitted 
to rest quietly until the next year. 

The corner-stone, which was presented by Rev, 
Dr. Elias Heiner, of Baltimore, Maryland, which has 
on it the inscription of 185 1, was not formally laid 
until the 13th of May, 1852. The occasion was one 
of great interest. An immense crowd, estimated at 
four thousand persons, is said to have been present, 
which marched in procession from the court-house 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 2Q 

of the city to the campus, in the following order : 
The military and fire companies, with a band of 
music in front, followed by the Trustees and Faculty 
of the College, ministers and visitors from abroad, 
the literary societies and students of the College, 
the teachers and scholars of the city Union Schools, 
the City Council and Board of Education, and of the 
citizens and visitors generally. 

The exercises on the campus were as follows: 
Prayer and a short address by the President, Rev. 
E. V. Gerhart ; an address by General Samuel F. 
Cary, of Cincinnati, on the dignity and importance 
of labor in its relation to the physical, intellectual 
and moral development of man; an appeal to the 
audience, for material aid by Rev. H. Shaull; after 
which Major Lewis Baltzell, President of the Board 
of Trustees, deposited the following articles in the 
stone, namely: The Bible, the Heidelberg Catechism, 
Constitution of the Reformed Church, a list of the 
donors to Heidelberg College, a copy of the Western 
Missionary \ Seneca Advertiser, Seneca Whig, Deutsche 
Kirchenfretmd, Reformed Messenger, Mercersburg Re- 
view, Minutes of the Synod of Ohio of 185 i, and of 
the Synod of the United States of the same year, 
the Constitution of the State of Ohio, census of Ohio, 
coins of the United States, and a Catalogue of Hei- 
delberg College; and then, after a short speech 
appropriate to the occasion, proceeded to lay the 
corner stone as follows: 

"And now, in the presence of this large and 
respectable audience, in the presence of the great 
God and All-wise Ruler of the universe, I, Lewis 
Baltzell, President of the Board of Trustees of Hei- * 



30 THE HISTORY OF 

delberg College, in behalf of and by authority of 
said Board, do solemnly lay and deposit this corner- 
stone of Heidelberg College at Tiffin, in the County 
of Seneca and State of Ohio, on this, the 13th day 
of May, 1852, the edifice to be dedicated to Liter- 
ature, Science, the Arts, and the service of the 
Triune God." 

The building was inclosed and put under roof 
during the summer and fall. During the progress of 
the work, Rev. Dr. Winters, of Dayton, Ohio, whilst 
on a visit to Tiffin, went upon the building, which had 
then reached the third story, to view the work. Whilst 
walking along carelessly, the scaffolding gave way 
under him, dropping him to the story below, with a 
show r er of bricks over his head, leaving some wounds 
and bruises behind. Passing thus hastily through the 
College, he was enrolled as the first graduate, with 
the recollection that the process was rather rough for 
comfort. It was expected to have the first story 
finished by the middle of December, 1852; but the 
work was delayed, so that it was not ready for occu- 
pancy before the spring of 1853. The work, after 
this, went forward rather slowly for the want of means. 

The students, who knew nothing of the difficulty of 
getting the necessary funds to complete the building, 
gave the Faculty and Board of Trustees a gentle hint 
to finish the work by going out into the forest one 
night, cutting a tall sapling, with a number of limbs 
projecting, which they brought in on their shoulders, 
and fixed as best they could as a baluster to the steps, 
cutting the limbs so as to stand out a few inches from 
the stem. The venerable Father Kroh, Treasurer of 
the College, visiting the building during the day, as he 



COLLEGE. 3 I 

often did, the students seemed glad to see him. The 
old gentleman looked inquisitively at the new improve- 
ment, and then asked what it meant; to which the 
boys replied it was. done to prevent any one from 
falling from the steps. "But what," continued he, 
"do those prongs mean?" "Why," said the boys, 
1 ' these were left to prevent the smaller students from 
sliding down the railing and getting hurt." 

The building was at length finished, at a cost of 
about $20,000. The exact amount can not be ascer- 
tained from the books. A considerable debt was left 
upon it when finished. The agents labored hard to 
collect the funds to liquidate it. The building was 
fortunately put up when material and labor were both 
cheap. Had this not been the case the difficulty 
would have been greatly increased. 

This main building stood singly and alone upon the 
campus for a period of sixteen years. In 1867, the 
President, Dr. Geo. W. Williard, asked permission of 
the Board of Trustees to erect a house on the campus, 
to be known as the President's House, which he 
proposed to do by special contributions, which he 
himself would secure for this object, leaving the 
endowment of the College intact. Some smiled at 
the project as visionary, whilst others feared it might 
prove a failure, and so involve the Board. Permission, 
however, was given, and the President went to work 
with the full determination to carry it through. The 
house, a large and commodious brick dwelling, two 
stories high, with eleven rooms, was begun in the 
spring of 1868, and was so far finished as to be ready 
for occupancy in the latter part of the fall. Not a 
cent was taken from the endowment to pay for this 



32 THE HISTORY OF 

house, which cost $4,250, with all its appurtenances. 
The President, in due time, fulfilled his part of the 
contract by handing the house over to the Board free 
from all encumbrance. The yard and grounds around 
the house have been nicely improved and ornamented 
with evergreens, trees, rockery, and flowers, which 
make it one of the most attractive residences near the 
College grounds. The house will stand as a monu- 
ment of the activity and devotion of the President to 
the interests of the College during his administration. 
In the year 1873, the large and commodious Board- 
ing Hall, which stands near the President's House on 
the campus, was erected for the accommodation of the 
ladies who may attend the College from abroad, and 
for gentlemen rooming in the College Building and 
elsewhere, who may desire to board near by. The 
Hall is three stories high, has fifteen rooms in the 
main building, well ventilated, with a large hall on 
each floor, and a back building with six rooms for the 
family running it. It was- built and furnished ready 
to occupy at the opening of the College year, in Sep- 
tember, 1873, at a cost of about $7,000. It has 
proven to be a great accommodation and convenience 
to all concerned, so that it is hard to see how the 
College got along as well as it did before its erection. 
It has thus far been run under the supervision of the 
Faculty, Mrs. Williams and daughters doing the work 
the first year; Mrs. G. Homan the second, and Mrs. 
John Tinterman the four following years. Prof. C. 
O. Knepper and family occupied three rooms on the 
first floor for three years, who, in connection with the 
President, had the special oversight of it during this 
time. Prof. J. P. Moore took his place in 1877 and 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 33 

1878. The President had the oversight of it in 1879; 
at the end of which year it was rented to J. S. Bott, of 
Wyandot County, Ohio, who now has the entire 
charge and responsibility of running it, under the 
general supervision of the Faculty. 

THE RELATION OF THE COLLEGE TO THE THEOLOGI- 
CAL SEMINARY. 

The relation between the College and Theological 
Seminary was, from the start, very intimate, more so 
at first than it is now. The Synod, not having the 
funds necessary to carry them along separately, had 
them so closely allied that the Professor in the Semi- 
nary held, at a small salary, the position of President 
of the College, until the year 1865; whilst those stu- 
dents in the College who were looking forward to the 
ministry had, in most cases, recitations in both. This 
mingling of the literary and theological departments, 
whilst it was, perhaps, the best and only thing that 
could be done under the circumstances, had the effect 
of impairing the efficiency of both. Neither depart- 
ment could be as thorough as it ought to have been, 
as it was not possible for any one to do justice to the 
Seminary and at the same time preside over and give 
instructions in the College. Hence, considerable dis- 
satisfaction was occasionally expressed with the ar- 
rangement, which grew so strong, eventually, that 
Rev. G. W. Aughinbaugh, A. M., was called to the 
Presidency of the College in 1864. From this time 
on, the two departments, whilst having their recita- 
tions in the same building, and mingling in the freest 
social and religious intercourse, have been separated, 
each attending to its own appropriate work. The 
3 



34 THE HISTORY OF 

result has been that everything has moved on more 
systematically; and each department has been made 
more effective and thorough than it could otherwise 
have been. The Theological Seminary, not having 
any buildings of its own, has, with the consent and 
approval of the Board of Trustees of the College, 
fitted up, very comfortably, a room in the second 
story of the College Building, where it has its recita- 
tions; and also occupies another room on the same 
floor with its library. The students of the two de- 
partments unite in the religious services,the profess- 
ors taking their turn in conducting them. Thus far, 
everything has moved on in the most delightful har- 
mony, so much so that we hardly realize that we are 
two distinct institutions under separate boards. 

THE ENDOWMENT. 

As no institution of a high grade of scholarship can 
be sustained by the income from tuition alone, there 
is a necessity for providing an endowment fund, upon 
which it can fall back for at least a part of its support. 
All colleges have, therefore, as soon as they have been 
fairly organized, made special efforts to provide an en- 
dowment, so as to be raised above the financial em- 
barrassments that arise from time to time. How large 
this fund should be will depend very much upon the 
rate of tuition and the expense of running the institu- 
tion. When the tuition is put so low as to bring the 
advantage of obtaining a liberal education within the 
reach of all, there must, in the nature of the case, be 
some other source of revenue, or it will inevitably be- 
come involved in debt, and be necessitated to close for 
the want of means to meet its current expenses. 

Heidelberg College felt this necessity from the start, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 35 

and had it not been that the professors served at an 
exceedingly low salary it could not have met its liabili- 
ties. The great expense incurred in the erection of 
the main College Building absorbed, for several years, 
a large amount of the contributions, so that but little 
could be done toward the endowment. The Church, 
too, was comparatively weak and poor, so that the 
work went on slow T ly. The wants were, at times, so 
great and pressing that portions of the endowment 
fund, which had been gathered, were loaned to meet 
other necessities, in the hope that something would 
turn up by which it could be paid back, a very doubt- 
ful policy, at best, as it is seldom the case that such 
loans are ever refunded. But necessity is said to 
know no laws, and so often puts its hand upon what 
should be regarded as sacred. 

Various methods were devised and adopted for 
raising the endowment, which was the easiest part 
of the work. Ordinarily, it costs but little to origi- 
nate plans and schemes, important as they are, to in- 
sure success in any enterprise. Where there are men 
of great wealth, like Drew, Packer, Vanderbilt, Pea- 
body, and many others, who have given their hun- 
dreds of thousands, it is a very nice and easy thing 
to start institutions. But there were none such to 
whom Heidelberg College could look for aid. And 
had there been, the donation would have been so un- 
expected and startling that the Professors and Board 
of Trustees would have been so confounded as to be 
at a loss to know what to do with it. Not having 
ever had such a surprise in the Reformed Church, it 
is hard to say how we would act on the receipt of 
such a donation. We would, however, even at this 



36 THE HISTORY OF 

late date, like exceedingly to be put to the test, that 
we might know what feelings such princely liberality 
produces in those who are the happy recipients. This 
much we may say, that Heidelberg College will not be 
offended at such generosity should any one be disposed 
to extend it. 

The plan that met with the most favor, and seemed 
the most feasible under all the circumstances, for rais- 
ing an endowment,, was the system of scholarships, 
as it is called. And even this had its objections, and 
had been tried by other institutions, and was found to 
work badly. Some, therefore, entered their protest 
against it, and predicted bad results. But it seemed 
the only plan that would be likely to succeed, and was 
therefore adopted with certain modifications and safe- 
guards. Our people, it was argued, would not be 
likely to give unless there would be some inducement 
or benefit arising from their contributions, even though 
there would be little probability of realizing it in their 
day. Besides, it seemed nothing more than fair that 
those who contributed of their means to the support 
of the College should have certain privileges if they 
saw fit to avail themselves of them. 

After experimenting for some years, it was at last 
agreed to sell no transferable scholarships for less than 
$300. If any one contributed this amount, he re- 
ceived a certificate for a Perpetual Scholarship — one 
that would be good for all time to come; or, to ex- 
press it in the quaint language of the Agent, H. Leo- 
nard, it will be like a mill that will never cease to 
grind, so that the donor and his heirs will always have 
the right to send a student of their choosing to the 
College free of tuition. If any one gave $100, he 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. $7 

received a certificate for eight years free tuition, if 
$50, four years; if $40, three years; and, if $30, two 
years, on the condition that said certificates are not 
transferable, except to the heirs of the original donor, 
any one of whom has a right to it. 

Judging from the success which has attended the 
sale of scholarships on the plan just indicated, we are 
safe in concluding that it was the best that could have 
been adopted, and has so far worked well. It is true 
a large portion of the students, perhaps fully one-half, 
are all the while on scholarships, which cuts off a 
large revenue that might otherwise be realized from 
the tuition of such; yet, when we calculate the in- 
terest on the scholarships thus given, of which there 
are over a thousand, it is easy to see that the College 
is the gainer, as the interest on the notes is more than 
the tuition would amount to. Then, by means of these 
scholarships, students have been induced to attend 
upon the College who would not otherwise have done 
so. It has also had the effect of creating a bond of 
sympathy between the holders of these scholarships 
and the College, as they are made to feel that they 
have an interest in its maintenance and success. 

Most of the scholarships bought during the first 
fifteen years of the College were fifty and one hun- 
dred dollar scholarships, with some that were per- 
petual. The sums thus contributed being small, the 
endowment progressed slowly, so that the current 
expenses were greater than the income ; the result of 
which was, that the Contingent Fund, in its per- 
plexity, borrowed from the Endowment, without be- 
ing able to replace it, so that a large portion of the 
available funds was consumed, which had the effect 



38 THE HISTORY OF 

of crippling the College, with no prospect of relief. 
This was one of the darkest periods in the history of 
the College. To add to the perplexity, Rev. Geo. 
W. Aughinbaugh, who had been elected to the Presi- 
dency in 1864, resigned, after presiding over the Col- 
lege one year, in consequence of ' ' insufficient salary 
and the delicate health of wife and family," The 
Board endeavored to prevail on him to withdraw 
his resignation, offering him a salary of $900, with 
but little prospect of seeing it paid, unless collected 
during the year. The offer was still declined, which 
led to the acceptance of his resignation. About ten 
days after the opening of the Fall Term, in 1865, 
Prof. J. B. Kieffer tendered his resignation, which left 
the College in peculiar straits, with only three regular 
professors. Everything looked very discouraging. 
Its friends hardly knew what to do. To relieve the 
embarrassment as much as possible, J. A. Keller, of 
the Class of 1861, was called to fill the place of J. B. 
Kieffer, as Professor of Languages, whilst the profess- 
ors presided in turn over the institution. The year 
passed with an average attendance of only eighty-nine 
students, as reported by the Board of Visitors in the 
Minutes of the Synod of Ohio for 1866, distributed as 
follows: Five in the Senior Class, two in the Junior, 
five in the Sophomore, seven in the Freshman, and 
the rest in the Academy. . The friends of the College 
were disheartened, and knew not what to do, as the 
funds were not on hand to elect new professors ; and 
yet no one seemed willing to give up in despair. The 
College had seen dark days before, and had lived 
through them. Why might it not do so again? 
The Board of Trustees resolved to make an earnest 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 39 

effort to relieve the College of its embarrassment, and 
put things on a better and surer foundation. A Presi- 
dent the College must have. This was felt to be a 
necessity. A meeting was therefore called, on the 3d 
of October, 1861, for the purpose of electing a Presi- 
dent, and giving things, if possible, a new start. The 
meeting was well attended. The first and main thing 
was the election of a President, which resulted in the 
unanimous choice of the present incumbent, Rev. 
Geo. W. Williard. To provide for his support in all 
time to come, a committee of five, with the Presi- 
dent elect as chairman, was appointed to raise the 
sum of $15,000 for this purpose— a very difficult un- 
dertaking. The President elect could not see his way 
clear to accept the appointment. In the meantime, 
the Synod of Ohio met, in the month of May, 1866, 
and indorsed the action of the Board of Trustees in 
the following resolutions : 

"Resolved, That we, as a Synod, approve the ac- 
tion of the Board of Trustees of -Heidelberg College 
in the election of Rev. Geo. W. Williard, D. D., to 
the Presidency; and, having full confidence in him as 
an earnest Christian, an efficient governor, and a prac- 
tical worker, hope that he may see his way clear soon 
to accept the call, and enter upon the duties of the re- 
sponsible position. 

"Resolved, That the Presidency of Heidelberg Col- 
lege can and ought to be immediately endowed, and 
that a commencement be made on the floor of the 

Synod." 

In consequence of this indorsement of Synod, and 
at the solicitation of many of the friends and alumni 
of the College and the Seminary, the President elect 



40 THE HISTORY OF 

accepted the responsible position to which he was 
called, and entered upon his duties at the beginning 
of the collegiate year, in September, 1866. 

As a proof of the interest which the Church took 
in raising the sum of $15,000 for the endowment of 
the Presidency, A. H. Baughman, of Xenia, Ohio, 
gave $1,000; W. E. Schmertz, of Pittsburg, Penn- 
sylvania, $1,000, and the interest of another $1,000 
until the amount would be raised; Benj. Kuhns, of 
Dayton, Ohio, $1,000; and many others in sums 
from fifty to three hundred dollars, so that, by the 
end of the first year, the President had about $10,000 
raised for the endowment of the Presidency, which 
has subsequently been more than completed by his 
individual efforts in connection with his duties in the 
College. 

It was also fortunate for the College that the Agent, 
H. Leonard, who had been obliged to suspend his 
work for some four years, in consequence of the dis- 
turbed state of the country, occasioned by the civil 
war, and the severe and protracted affliction of his 
family, was again enabled to resume his agency. 
The year was, therefore, a very prosperous one 
financially for the College. What endowment had 
been secured years before was put in better shape, 
which, with what was done during the year by the 
President and Agent, enabled the Board, according 
to its report to the Synod, in 1867, to reduce the 
debt of the College in the amount of $3,000. 

Things now began to assume a more hopeful ap- 
pearance. Its friends took new courage, and rallied 
to its support. The attendance of students in- 
creased; the course of study in the different depart- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 41 

ments was revised and made more thorough and 
complete; more prominence was given to the Col- 
legiate Department; its classes began to enlarge; 
the teaching force was increased by the addition of 
several professors, and things generally began to 
assume the appearance of a College well-manned and 
disciplined. 

It was also further resolved, that what funds had 
been, or would be, hereafter, subscribed to the En- 
dowment Fund should be kept intact, and not be 
used for any purpose other than that for which it 
was given. This resolution being strictly adhered 
to by the Board of Trustees, the endowment has 
steadily increased, until it has reached about $100,- 
000, including what has been given by different 
parties in notes payable at their death, without in- 
terest, to the amount of about $40,000, which, 
when once available, will free the College from its 
present financial embarrassment, enable it to in- 
crease the salaries of its professors, add to the teach- 
ing force, and give efficiency to it in a variety of 
respects. 

The amount of endowment paid in, and under the 
direct control of the Board of Trustees, is, at pres- 
ent, about $36,000, which is loaned out at eight per 
cent, interest. In addition to this the Board receives 
interest on about $20,000 in scholarship notes scat- 
tered over the Church, which draws six per cent, in- 
terest, from which it will be seen that the greatest 
economy and financial tact are required to meet the 
current expenses, which now amount to about $6, 500 
annually. 

The College owes a debt of gratitude to its many 



42 THE HISTORY OF 

friends, who came to its rescue in its need and dis- 
tress, and have borne it along through all its trials 
and vicissitudes. We would like, in justice to the 
noble generosity of many, to mention their names 
in this history; but, as there are some who wish to 
remain iiicognito — not letting their left hand know 
what their right has done — we forbear mentioning 
any more names than the few referred to above. It 
is enough that the great Disposer of all things knows 
who they are, and will in due time reward them for 
their liberality. 

The College has been unfortunate in some of the 
bequests made to it by special friends, who desired 
to remember it in their last will and testament, in 
not getting the amount willed, teaching the impor- 
tant lesson, that those who desire to aid it by their 
beneficence, should either do it in their life-time, or 
else be sure to put it in such a form that no litigation 
may arise therefrom. 

In a work of such magnitude as the endowment of 
a College, where notes are taken on time — from one 
to twelve years — and in many cases payable at death, 
it is easy to see that a wide margin must be left for 
losses and the uncertainties of fortune. And yet, 
taking all into consideration, the failures have not 
been*as great as might have been expected, amid the 
contingencies of the case, giving proof of what is 
often called the native honesty and Christian integ- 
rity of the German character, which enters largely 
into the constitution and membership of the Re- 
formed Church. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 43 

THE FINANCIAL AGENTS OF THE COLLEGE. 

Closely connected with the endowment of the Col- 
lege are the agencies employed in securing it. The 
experience of the past has given abundant proof that 
the funds necessary to establish and carry on our edu- 
cational and benevolent institutions do not come of 
their own accord. Ordinarily it requires a great deal 
of patierft and hard work to endow institutions of learn- 
ing. Heidelberg College has been no exception to 
this rule. We may, indeed, say the labor in its case 
has been more than usual, as many of our people, not 
having enjoyed the advantage of a good education 
themselves, were slow to believe that it would require 
what it does to give efficiency to the College. Hence, 
when they would see the reports of what our agents 
were doing, they were led to wonder what the Board 
of Trustees wanted with all the contributions that 
were made to the College, and in some instances no 
doubt honestly declined giving upon the ground that 
the funds were not wisely expended. Where such 
views prevailed only to a limited extent it is easy to 
see that they would be serious hinderances in the way 
of the agents, and that it would require much expla- 
nation to remove the prejudices created in this way. 
It must, however, be said, to the credit of our people 
generally, that they have done well in the support 
they have given our institutions, and that although 
they were at first slow in coming to the work, they in 
due time saw the importance of it to such an extent 
that there are comparatively few families comfortably 
situated, who have not made some donation to the 
College, even though it may have been made in the 
form of a crumb, as the smaller donations are called by 



44 THE HISTORY OF 

the "Fisherman." The endowment has, in a great 
measure, been made up by contributions of fifty and 
one hundred dollars, which has made the work slow 
and tedious. There have thus far only been two agents 
in the service of the College, Rev. H. Shaull and H. 
Leonard. 

REV. H. SHAULL. 

The special Synod of Tarlton, as soon as it had 
located its literary and theological institutions, ap- 
pointed Revs. H. Shaull and H. Williard agents to 
procure the necessary funds to carry them forward. 
These agents met soon after their appointment, and 
divided the territory of the Synod between them, 
Rev. H. Shaull taking the Miami and Maumee, (now 
Tiffin) Classes, and Rev. H. Williard the Lancaster 
Classis. Rev. H. Williard, finding the agency an 
interference with his ministerial work, soon abandoned 
it, so that it fell mainly upon Rev. H. Shaull, who 
prosecuted the work with much zeal and success for 
about three years, when his health failed to such an 
extent that he was compelled to resign. The insti- 
tutions are largely indebted to him for the start they 
got. Had it not been for his indefatigable efforts they 
could not have continued as they did, starting with no 
endowment whatever. His time was divided between 
the College and Theological Seminary, each institution 
being equally in need of funds to pay the professors. 
The contributions for the Theological Seminary were 
given mainly in the form of what was called Plain- 
field Bonds, according to which the donor gave his 
note for a specified sum, mostly for $100, which he 
obligated himself to pay at his death, or sooner, paying 
interest thereon in the meantime at the rate of six per 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 45 

cent. In this way the endowment of the Seminary 
has been largely secured. 

In the case of the College, scholarships were sold, 
the most of which were transferable; the present 
system, which we have explained under the endow- 
ment, not having as yet been adopted. These are 
now mostly consumed. 

It may also be proper here to add that Rev. H. 
Shaull took a most active part in the establishment of 
the College, and in its present location, having been 
mainly instrumental in securing the amount that was 
offered the Synod for its transfer from Tarlton to 
Tiffin. He is one of the few surviving founders of the 
College, and has been spared to see the fruits of his 
labor in its present prosperity, notwithstanding the 
difficulties it has had to contend against. His prayers 
and good wishes are still with it, and the friends of the 
College will not cease to pray that Heaven's choicest 
blessing may rest upon him, and that he may receive 
a rich reward in the world to come for all his labor 
and self-denial in its behalf 

HENRY LEONARD, BASIL, OHIO. 

The Rev. H. Shaull having resigned the agency of 
the College to resume the work of the pastorate, the 
Board of Trustees was, for a short time, without any 
agent, which left the finances in a still more embar 
rassing condition. All felt the need of some one to 
work in the interest of the College in this respect. 
But where was the man to be found who was adapted 
to the work? Ministers could hardly be expected to 
give up their ministry for a work like this, when their 
services were so much needed in the Church, many of 
whose charges were vacant for want of men to serve 



46 THE HISTORY OF 

them. Then it was plainly evident that it required a 
man of very peculiar parts to make a success of it. 
Not any and every one that might be willing to under- 
take the work would succeed. The Church had to 
be thoroughly canvassed. It would not do to single 
out a few of the best charges, or most wealthy fam- 
ilies, and then give up the agency for some one else 
to follow and gather up the gleanings. It required a 
man who fully comprehended the situation, and would 
have the patience to stick to the work until it would 
be done; who would not be easily discouraged; would 
have the confidence of the Church, and serve at a 
small salary. The more the Board looked around for 
such an one the more difficult it seemed to find the 
man. Many names were suggested, but no one will- 
ing to undertake the work seemed to have the proper 
qualification. At last the name of Henry Leonard, of 
Basil, Fairfield County, Ohio, who was widely and 
favorably known as an earnest Christian man, a faith- 
ful worker, and one who loved the Church and her 
institutions, was suggested. The Synod had un- 
bounded confidence in him, and therefore unani- 
mously recommended him at its annual meeting in 
Tiffin, Ohio, in May, 1856, to the Board of Trustees 
as a man well suited for the work, if his services could 
be obtained. The Board, at this hearty recommend- 
ation of Synod, elected him as its agent on the 22d 
of May, about one week after the meeting of Synod. 
But would he give up the large and lucrative 
business in which he had been engaged as a success- 
ful merchant in Basil, Ohio, for twenty-eight years, 
to undertake an agency that would require a sacrifice 
of much of the comfort of his family and expose 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 47 

him to all kinds of hardships and fatigue in travel- 
ing around through the Church? Many doubted if 
he would accept, and had he looked upon it as a 
man of the world, who had his own ease and com- 
fort mainly in view, he would have said no to the 
call. But he did not so look upon the matter. He 
felt that the call came to him from the Lord, and 
that his acceptance was intimately connected with 
the prosperity of the Church he loved so well. The 
call, therefore, made a deep impression upon his 
mind ; for he clearly saw the difficulty the Board was 
in, and that if he could succeed in endowing our 
institutions at Tiffin, Ohio, that would be a work 
permanent and far-reaching in its influence. He 
thought and prayed over the matter. But the more 
he reflected upon it the deeper were his convictions 
of the necessity that was laid upon him. He advised 
with his family, as a prudent man would do. His 
wife, who was in rather feeble health, asked, "Well, 
how long will it take you from home?" "I can not 
tell," was the reply; "perhaps two or four years;" 
from which it will be seen that he himself had no 
proper conception of the magnitude of the work 
before him. It was well, too, it was so; for if he 
had known all that would be required of him he 
would have shrunk from the undertaking. The call 
was at last accepted; and on January 22, 1857, he 
started out in his sulky on his agency, not know- 
ing what was before him, except that he was engaged 
in the service of the Master, and would go where 
duty called. 

The first place he visited was the Jerusalem con- 
gregation within the bounds of the Tarlton charge, 



48 THE HISTORY OF 

beginning, as he said in his report, at Jerusalem, as 
the apostles did when they entered upon their work. 
This being near the place where the College had 
been first located, it might have been supposed that 
he would have met with a cold reception. But not 
so; for the people knew him and had come to look 
calmly on the action of Synod, and therefore encour- 
aged him in his work by giving cheerfully and lib- 
erally. Most of his first collections were toward the 
$2,000 proposed by the Synod to pay the debt that 
was still remaining upon the building, and was press- 
ing the Board. He, and the Church generally, were 
encouraged at the beginning that was made, and all 
felt the right man had been found for the agency of 
our institutions. 

About this time he began to write for the Western 
Missionary, the organ of the Synod of Ohio, and, by 
his quaint and peculiar style, interested, to a great 
extent, the membership of the Church. The people 
read his articles with avidity, and became interested 
in him and the institutions in whose service he was 
laboring. Being familiar with the English, German, 
and Swiss dialects, he adapted himself to all classes. 
In 1858 and 1859 ^ e wrote his famous allegories about 
Mittlestrass, of which many persons still speak. The 
Church having been at this time greatly agitated 
about what was called New and Old Measures, these 
allegories were regarded as very timely, exposing, as 
they did, the extremes on both sides; and, coming 
as they did, from a layman or elder in whose sincerity 
and piety all had confidence, they were well received, 
and had a good influence in calming the troubled 
waters. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 49 

In his reports he often amusingly spoke of catch- 
ing gold-fish, silver-sides, greenbacks, etc. ; from which 
he got the name of The Fisherman, by which he is 
now familiarly known over the Church. Even the 
children speak of him as The Fisherman, having seen 
frequent references to him under this form in the pho- 
tographs he has distributed through the Church. 
Often, when he goes into families where he has not 
been, the children ask inquisitively, "Airit this the 
Fisherman?" And when he asks why they think it 
is, they reply, ' i We have seen your picture with the 
fish on it" 

The name Fisherman is said to have first been 
given him by Dr. Winters, at the Synod of Carrollton, 
in 1857, who, on meeting him, said, jocularly, "I 
have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but 
now mine eyes do behold thee. How are you, Fish- 
erman?" 

Among the many plans he has devised for the pur- 
pose of raising funds is that of having his photographs 
taken in different forms, some with the box in which 
he carries his papers strapped on his back, with car- 
pet-sack in one hand and cane in the other ; some with 
strings of fish, with children at his side ; others with 
him sitting with his head down and looking very sad 
after he made a water-haul; others representing him 
as laughing when he got a large subscription ; others 
as seen in the straw-stack, where he once laid all night 
when lost on one of the Western prairies, etc. These 
he has been sending to members of the Church in all 
parts of the Synod, requesting a contribution for the 
College if they desired to retain the photographs, and 
if not to return them in the envelope he incloses. 
4 



JO THE HISTORY OF 

Simple as this plan is, he has realized hundreds of dol- 
lars from it, as most of those to whom they were sent 
would encourage him with a contribution sooner than 
return the pictures. He also made himself known in 
this way as the Agent of the College. 

In traveling through the Church he has made it 
an object to interest the children in the College by 
getting them to give what he calls crumbs. He has 
the names at present of 9, 707 young persons in his 
memorandum-book, which he carries with him, the 
sum total of whose contributions is $2,672. The 
small children that give in this way receive a cer- 
tificate, with the following verses of poetry, which 
he has prepared for their special benefit, with a bee- 
hive pictured on the top of the certificate : 

Every little bee doth help to fill 

The hive with honey sweet; 
Although the load is very small, 

If often they repeat. 

But then you see so many bees, 

Together in one hive dwell, 
When all contribute their little mite, 

It fills the empty cell. 

Thus it is in all great tasks 

We undertake to do; 
The little mites doth greatly help 

To swell the number too. 

For, like the bees, if all but add 

A trifle to the list, 
You ne'er will feel the little loss, 

And yet it will assist. 

So, young friends, you must not think 

Your gift, however small, 
Will never help to roll along 

Education's glorious ball. 

He has now been engaged in his agency about 
twenty-three years, with occasional interruptions of 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 5 I 

a longer or shorter interval, in consequence of afflic- 
tions in his family. During the war he found it im- 
possible to do much. It was during this time that 
the Trustees of Franklin and Marshall College, 
located at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, induced him to 
labor in their behalf, which he did for seven months 
with great success. He also subsequently spent 
three months in the interest of Ursinus College, 
located at Collegeville, Pennsylvania, doing it good 
service. The rest of his time has been devoted to 
Heidelberg College. He has traveled in all about 
84,000 miles, and done a good deal of the work in 
the congregations he has visited on foot, going in 
this way from house to house. His traveling ex- 
penses during the whole period of his agency 
amount to $2,380.71, which is only a little over 
one hundred dollars a year, deducting the time he 
was not engaged in his agency — a very small sum, 
the most of which was paid as fare on the railroads 
in going from one part of the Church to another — 
his other expenses being small, as he was widely 
known, and the members of the Church were always 
glad to entertain him and help him in his work. 

It is also due the Agent to say that he has served 
the College at a very small salary, which has not 
averaged five hundred dollars a year, which amount 
he has always left to the Board or Financial Com- 
mittee to fix, and in some instances he has reduced 
the amount first suggested. It has also been cus- 
tomary with him, as he has gone through the 
Church, to deliver his Allegorical Temperance Lec- 
ture, where the opportunity offered; for which the 



52 THE HISTORY OF 

people generally gave him four dollars toward his 
traveling expenses. 

The College and Church owe him a debt of grati- 
tude for the work he has done, which will be remem- 
bered long after he has completed his course on earth. 
It is very doubtful if any one could have been se- 
cured to do the work he has at the small remunera- 
tion he has received. His great ambition has been 
to see the College endowed, and placed beyond such 
financial embarrassment as would seriously cripple 
it. If he is spared a few years longer, and is as 
successful in the future as he has been in the past, 
his desire will be gratified. 

When he began his agency, in 1857, the finances 
of the College were in a very distressed condition, 
as appears from the Minutes of Synod in 1856, 
when the students sent in a petition asking that 
measures be taken to complete the College Building 
at once, if at all possible, as it was very discouraging 
for them to continue, and for others to come to the 
College, in the condition things were. At the same 
meeting, a complaint was laid before the Synod, by 
one of the Classes, that the Endowment Fund was 
diverted by the trustees, in their need, from its in- ' 
tended use to make up the deficiency in paying the 
salary of professors. To provide for the emergency of 
the case, the Synod resolved that the sum of $2,000 
be raised to pay the debt on the College Building, 
and that the Board of Trustees appoint an agent 
to raise said amount, and to increase the endowment, 
so that the income of the College might be sufficient 
to meet its current expenses, and that said agent be 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 53 

cordially welcomed in all its congregations, which led 
to his appointment, as we have seen. 

It was at this state of affairs that he undertook his 
agency, and has persevered in it in the face of all 
the difficulties with which he has had to contend, 
sometimes hoping against hope. His success has 
been more than he, or the friends of the College 
could have anticipated, affording a bright example 
of what perseverance and personal effort will do. 

In addition to the funds thus raised by the agent, 
H. Leonard, he has also done much in the way of 
advertising the College, and bringing it to the notice 
of the public as worthy of a generous patronage. 
He has, in this respect, been much more that a finan- 
cial agent, and has done much to give it a name and 
character by the side of the other institutions of the 
land. He has not only written a great deal in the 
interest of the College, but has all the while been 
studying and getting up something new, such as his 
" Buckeye College," which attracted so much atten- 
tion at the late Centennial, in Philadelphia. This 
wonderful structure, which is a facsimile of the Col- 
lege Building, is made entirely of buckeye timber, 
representing, in this way, the great Buckeye State 
of Ohio, where the College is located. Several logs 
of buckeye timber were sawed for this purpose, and 
sixteen bushels of the seed used in its construction, 
with all appertaining to it, including a very large 
fish, carrying out the idea of the "Fisherman," made 
entirely of buckeye wood, with the seeds glued on 
and fastened by means of wires. As might have 
been expected, several months were consumed in 
getting it up; and, when completed, he had a grand 



54 THE HISTORY OF 

ovation, in Basil, Ohio, the place of his residence, 
in unveiling it to the gaze of the immense crowd of 
spectators who came to see it. This curiosity was 
shipped to Tiffin at the close of the Centennial, and 
will be preserved with much care by the authorities 
of the College as a remarkable specimen of the in- 
ventive genius of the "Fisherman." No College was 
brought out, or represented so fully as Heidelberg at 
the Centennial, a fact commented upon in several 
periodicals of the day, and spoken of by many visit- 
ors at this grand exposition. 

PROFESSORS AND TEACHERS. 

The College started with a very small corps of 
professors, as might have been expected, having no 
endowment upon which to fall back; and although 
the Catalogue gives the names of five professors, 
there were in fact only three upon whom the chief 
burden fell for the first year. Rev. E. V. Gerhart, 
who was elected by the Synod of Ohio, on the 14th 
of December, 1850, to the Theological Professor- 
ship, was, by the action of the Board of Trustees of 
the College, elected as its President, the two institu- 
tions being carried forward in the closest union ; but 
he did not get to Tiffin before the month of May, 
185 1, in consequence of affliction in his family. 
And Rev. S. S. Rickley, whose name is in the Cata- 
logue as Professor of the Theory and Practice of Teach- 
ing, having been at the same time the Superintendent 
of the Public Schools of Tiffin, his connection with 
the College was rather nominal than real, he having 
received no stipulated salary. 

Rev. R. Good was elected Rector of the Prepara- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 55 

tory Department, and Rev. j. H. Good, Professor of 
Mathematics, by the Synod of Ohio, in September, 
1850, and removed to Tiffin in th£ month of October, 
to get things in readiness to start as early as pos- 
sible. Mrs. A. M. Lee was subsequently employed 
as Principal of the Female Department. But small 
as the teaching force was, consisting in reality of the 
three persons last named, the salary was equally 
small, having been #350 for each of the two regular 
professors for the first year, and less for the assistant. 
But such was the necessity of the case, as there were 
no funds to pay more. The trustees and professors 
did the best they could under the circumstances. 

Rev. E. V. Gerhart continued to serve as Presi- 
dent of the College, with acceptance, along with his 
duties in the Seminary, until April, 1855, when he 
removed to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, having received 
and accepted a call to the Presidency of Franklin and 
Marshall College. 

Rev. J. H. Good held his position as Professor of 
Mathematics and Mechanical Philosophy, which he 
filled satisfactorily, until 1868, when he was called to 
the Professorship of Dogmatic and Practical Theology 
in the Theological Seminary, Tiffin, Ohio. 

Rev. R. Good still holds his connection with the 
College as Professor of Natural Sciences, and is the 
only one of the original professors connected with 
the institution at present, his long service and reten- 
tion in office being the best proof of the satisfaction 
he has given in his position. 

Mrs. A. M. Lee was Principal of the Female De- 
partment for one year, and was succeeded by Mrs. 
Sarah J. Thayer, in September, 185 1, who held the 



$6 THE HISTORY OF 

position until 1857, an d was succeeded by Miss M. 
Antoinette Moritz, who remained two years. 

Rev. H. J. Ruetenik was Professor of Latin, Greek, 
and German from 1854 to 1857. 

N. L. Brewer, of the Class of 1855, was employed 
as tutor during his senior year. 

Rev. Moses Kieffer, having been elected by the 
Synod of Ohio as the successor of Rev. E. V. Ger- 
hart in the Theological Seminary, was also called to 
preside over the College, which he did from 1855 t° 
1863. 

Rev. E. E. Higbee was elected to the Professor- 
ship of Latin and Greek in 1859, an d continued until 
1861. 

Rev. J. J. Escher was instructor in History and 
German from 1858 to i860. 

Rev. J. B. Kniest, of the Class of 1858, was the 
same year tutor in Greek. 

Rev. W. H. Fenneman, of the Class of 1856, was 
tutor in Mathematics for 1858. 

Miss Jane Hartsock was Principal of the Female 
Department during 1859 an ^ i860. 

Rev. H. Rust was called, in 186 1, to the German 
Professorship in the College and Theological Semi- 
nary, and continued in this capacity until 1865, after 
which he devoted his whole time to the Theological 
Department as Professor of Exegetical and Historical 
Theology, which office he still holds. 

John B. Kieffer, of the Class of i860, was elected 
to the Professorship of Languages in 1862, and re- 
signed, September, 1865. 

Rev. Geo. W. Aughinbaugh was called to the 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 57 

Presidency of the College in 1863, and resigned after 
he filled the position one year. 

Joseph A. Keller, of the Class of 186 1, was chosen 
tutor October 3, 1865, and elected Professor of An- 
cient Languages June 25, 1867, and resigned June 
17, 1 87 1, to enter the pastoral work. 

Rev. Geo. W. Williard was elected to the Presi- 
dency of the College October 3, 1865, accepted the 
call June 26, 1866, and has served in this capacity to 
the present time. 

Frederick Moyer, of the Class of 1867, served as 
tutor from 1867 to 1869. 

Christian Hornung, of the Class of 1868, served as 
tutor in Mathematics from September, 1868, to June 
29, 1869, when he was elected to the Professorship of 
Mathematics, which position he still holds. 

O. A. S. Hursh, of the Class of 1871, was em- 
ployed as tutor in Latin and Greek from September, 
1869, to June 21, i87i,_when he was elected to the 
Professorship of Ancient Languages, in which posi- 
tion he still continues. 

Rev. P. Grading was elected to the German Profes- 
sorship June 28, 1870, and continued in it two years. 

A. S. Zerbe, of the Class of 1871, served as tutor 
in the Languages from 1871 to 1873. 

E. R. Williard, of the Class of 1872, served as 
tutor in Latin and Greek from 1873 to 1874. 

Lewis Grosenbaugh, of the Class of 1874, served 
as tutor in the Languages from 1874 to 1875. 

C. O. Knepper, of the Class of 1862, was elected 
as Alumni Professor of Belles Lettres and History, 
June 19, 1872, accepted the appointment May 22, 
1873, and continues in his office. 



58 THE HISTORY OF 

Rev. C. H. G. Von Luthenau filled the position of 
German Professor from 1873 to 1875, and was suc- 
ceeded by Rev. H. Zimmerman, who continued one 
year. 

Jon. C. Elder, of the Class of 1875, served as 
tutor in Mathematics from 1873 to 1874. 

J. P. Moore filled the position of German Professor 
from September, 1876, to June, 1878. 

William P. Cope filled the place of Prof. C. Hor- 
nung (excused for one year on account of ill health) 
in Mathematics from September, 1877, to June, 1878. 

Eph. M. Epstein, M. D., was appointed to the 
German Professorship in 1878, and is still serving in 
this position. 

Rev. A. S. Zerbe, of the Class of 1871, was 
elected to the Professorship of Greek, August, 1879. 

From the above it will be seen that quite a large 
number of persons have been employed in the Col- 
lege as professors and teachers during its history of 
thirty years, most of whom were tutors appointed for 
a short time. This was done from the necessities of 
the case, as the funds were not on hand to employ 
regular professors. It is just, however, to the Col- 
lege and the persons employed to say that, although 
their connection was only temporary, they filled their 
places well and to the satisfaction of all concerned. 
The College being now on a more solid financial 
basis, is no longer under the necessity of employing 
tutors in the place of regular professors, as in the 
past. The Faculty, as at present (August 25, 1879) 
constituted, is composed of the following gentlemen, 
all of whom are experienced teachers: 

Rev. Geo. W. Williard, D. D., President and Pro- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 59 

fessor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy and Evi- 
dences of Christianity, has held his present position 
fourteen years. 

Rev. R. Good, A. M., Professor of Natural Sci- 
ences, has been connected with the College, and 
served it in different capacities, since 1850, when it 
was started. 

C. Hornung, A. M., Professor of Mathematics and 
Mechanical Philosophy, has filled his present posi- 
tion eleven years. 

O. A. S. Hursh, A. M., Professor of Latin and 
Principal of the Academy, has been a professor in 
the College nine years. 

C. O. Knepper, A. M., Professor of Belles Let- 
tres and History, has been connected with the Col- 
lege six years, and been engaged in teaching since 
1862. 

Eph. M. Epstein, M. D., Professor of the German, 
has been connected with the College since Septem- 
ber, 1878. 

Rev. A. S. Zerbe, Ph. D., Professor of Greek, 
entered upon his work with the beginning of the 
present collegiate year. 

From this it will be seen that the corps of pro- 
fessors is full, and that the College is now in a con- 
dition to do such solid work, that young gentlemen 
and ladies wishing to obtain a liberal education will 
find advantages here equal to those of other institu- 
tions, and that the Reformed Church need not send 
her children elsewhere to be educated, as in years 
past; but may invite others to come and enjoy the 
benefits afforded. This is a result at which the 
friends of the College may rejoice, and should be a 



60 THE HISTORY OF 

matter of encouragement to them, not only to send 
their own sons and daughters, in order that they may 
be fitted for the duties of life, but to use what influ- 
ence they have with others to prevail upon them to 
attend, so that the institution may in this way ac- 
complish the greatest amount of good. 

It will also be seen from the above, that those 
who have been employed as professors and teachers 
have been largely from the number of those who 
have graduated in the College. This was done as 
an act of justice to well-earned merit, and with the 
confident belief that those who were educated by 
the College would be willing to make greater sacri- 
fices, and do more for its advancement than those 
who never had any connection with it. 

LITERARY SOCIETIES. 

Literary Societies have been common in all our 
colleges and higher institutions of learning, and 
have been of great benefit to the students attend- 
ing upon. them. The object of these societies is 
the improvement of those connected with them Jn 
the art of composition, declamation, and oratory, so 
as to give them readiness and ease in writing and 
speaking, and to make them acquainted with parlia- 
mentary rules. They have also been the means of 
cementing and binding together those who consti- 
tute them in the bonds of friendship and affection. 
It is astonishing how close these ties of friendship 
become, and how the members of these societies 
cling together and work for their common good. So 
high have the feelings of rivalry and emulation be- 
come at times, in some of our colleges, as to make 
the relation between the different societies rather 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 6 I 

unpleasant and bitter, which must be regarded as 
an evil and misfortune. Thus far, there has been 
nothing seriously unpleasant between the literary 
societies of Heidelberg College. Disputes have, at 
times, arisen, as was to be expected ; but they were 
always amicably settled in the end with no loss to 
the College. 

Of the Literary Societies now in existence, the 
Excelsior is the oldest. The Irving Society was 
the first that was organized ; but, as this continued 
only for a few years, when it disbanded, we shall 
make no further reference to it. The Excelsior 
Society was organized on the 18th of September, 
185 1, shortly after the opening of the second col- 
legiate year, with the following five members: Wm. 
A. Noble, Henry D. Mann, Geo. S. Feighner, J. W. 
Free, and G. Z. Mechling. The officers elect were, 
G. Z. Mechling, President; H. D. Mann, Secretary; 
and G. S. Feighner, Censor. The name Excelsior 
was regarded as appropriate and suggestive, convey- 
ing, as it does, to its members the idea that there is 
always room, whatever their attainments, to ascend 
higher and higher in the scale of excellence. It has 
had an honorable history, and has afforded good op- 
portunities for the improvement of its members. It 
has always held weekly meetings, at which time all 
the members have some performance in composition, 
declamation, or debate. It has a library of about 
1,500 choice publications, which is open to the stu- 
dents once a week. It has on its list of honorary 
members 600 names of the leading literary men of 
the day. The number of active members at present 
is twenty-nine. The following persons are the offi- 



62 THE HISTORY OF 

cers at the present time: R. C. Zartman, President; 
E. M. Beck, Vice-President and Corresponding Sec- 
retary; F. S. Houser, Secretary; Wm. From, Libra- 
rian; Chas. Haupert, Treasurer; W. A. Reiter, 
Treasurer of Endowment Fund;- J. P. Stahl, Censor. 
The Heidelberg Literary Society, which took 
the name of the College, was started March n, 
1859, shortly after the dismemberment of the Irving 
Literary Society. Like the Excelsior, it was small 
in its beginning, only seven persons being present at 
the first meeting, namely, T. J. Barkley, D. L. Dubbs, 
A. R. Kieffer, W. W. James, S. Kindler, D. Keilholtz, 
and S. Z. Beam. After resolving to organize them- 
selves into a Literary Society, with the name of Hei- 
delberg, and motto, Victory Crowns the Brave, a 
committee, consisting of A. R. Kieffer, T. J. Bark- 
ley, and S. Z. Beam, was appointed to draft a con- 
stitution, which was presented and adopted at an 
adjourned meeting, on the 16th of April, 1859; a ^ 
which time the society was formally organized by 
the election of T. J. Barkley, President; D. Keil- 
holtz, Vice-President; S. Z. Beam, Secretary; W. 
W. James, Corresponding Secretary, and D. Keil- 
holtz, Censor. D. Zinn being present at this meet- 
ing, his name was enrolled as one of its founders. 
This society has been for twenty years the worthy 
rival of its older sister, the Excelsior, and has also 
had weekly meetings for the improvement of its 
members in the art of declamation, composition, and 
debate. Not being as old as the Excelsior its library 
is somewhat smaller, having about 909 volumes of 
well selected books. It has the names of 328 distin- 
guished men on its roll of honorary members, and 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 63 

has had 312 active members since its organization in 
185.9. The present membership is twenty-six. The 
officers at present (October, 1879) are: J- M. Ker- 
stetter, President; J. A. Seitz, Vice-President; W. 
E. Kleckner, Secretary; J. F. Boelsums, Correspond- 
ing Secretary; B. R. Krammes, Censor; J. L. Bretz, 
Treasurer; J. M. Kerstetter, Treasurer Library Fund; 
J. M. Piatt, Librarian; W. L. Bowell, Assistant Li- 
brarian. 

These two societies, the Excelsior and Heidelberg, 
have been very equally balanced ; their halls are about 
the same size, and equally well fitted up ; they meet 
on the same evening; have about the same exercises. 
Each has a good library and a number of curiosities 
in two of the alcoves of the library-room of the Col- 
lege; their membership is always about the same, 
according to the rules that regulate them; and are so 
equally divided in talent, energy, and literary merit, 
that when the fresh supply of new students comes in 
at the opening of each term, the uninitiated, met as 
they are by the champions from each side, pleading 
in eloquent strains the superior advantages of their 
respective societies, are almost as badly puzzled to 
know which to join as the Grecian ox that stood be- 
tween two bundles of hay exactly alike, that died of 
starvation, as the fable goes, not being able to decide 
from which to eat. 

The Delphian Society, so called after the famous 
oracle of Delphi, was organized about 1871, and was 
composed of the ladies attending College, and had a 
vigorous existence for a few years, when it was sus- 
pended in consequence of the small number of ladies 
in attendance. During the few years of its existence 



64 THE HISTORY OF 

it rivaled both the Excelsior and Heidelberg Literary 
Societies in the excellence of the entertainments it 
gave from time to time. It is hoped that it may ere 
long be revived, and have a more vigorous and hardy 
existence. 

The Ggethean Literary Society was composed, 
as its name would indicate, of those students who 
desired to exercise and improve themselves in the 
German language. This society, depending largely, 
as it did, on the presence of such students as could 
speak the German, has varied in its membership. At 
times it was large, and was found to be a most excel- 
lent drill and exercise for those students wishing to 
become proficient and ready in the German language; 
at other times it has been weak, and is now, like the 
Delphian, suspended for the present, there being 
only a comparatively small number of students in 
attendance on the College who are ready in the Ger- 
man ; the reason of which probably is that the Ger- 
man institutions that have recently sprung up absorb 
largely this element. 

The Star Literary Society, which existed for a 
few years, was composed of those students belonging 
to the Academy not wishing to unite with the Literary 
Societies of the College proper. As a large number 
of the students now in the Academy are members 
either of the Excelsior or Heidelberg Literary So- 
cieties, it is at present merged in them. 

the cabinet. 

A room has been nicely and conveniently fitted 
up in the College Building for the Cabinet, which, 
although not as large as we could desire, still contains 
a very good collection of minerals. Some very fine 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 65 

specimens were received a few years ago from friends 
in Utah, Colorado, and California. The Smithsonian 
Institute, at Washington City, also deposited about 
fifty specimens of various kinds, collected from differ- 
ent and distant parts of the world. Professor C. W. 
Williamson, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, of the Class of 
1868, presented, at a considerable expense, two limbs, 
the teeth, and tusk of a mastadon of full size, dug 
out of the low or swamp land in Auglaize County, 
Ohio. These, with the many fossils and rare speci- 
mens gathered by the professors and friends of the 
College, make up a Cabinet of good size, meeting, 
to a considerable extent, the wants of the ckss-room, 
representing, as it does in full, the Paleozoic ages. 

As a Cabinet or Museum is one of those things 
which is never full, we trust the friends of the Col- 
lege will contribute to its growth in the future as 
they have in the past, by sending such contributions 
as will add to its variety and completeness. A little 
thoughtfulness and attention in this direction may 
add much to it at a comparatively little expense, and 
so promote the interest of the College, of which it 
forms a part. The interest which has of late years 
been manifested in the study of fossils, relics, etc., 
gives special importance to this department of col- 
legiate education, so that no institution ought to be 
without a good Cabinet if it will keep abreast with 
the spirit of the times. 

APPARATUS. 

The College has, as it should, a good supply of 
globes, maps, philosophical instruments, electric ma- 
chine, air-pump, microscope and telescope of great 
magnifying power. The microscope and telescope 

' 5 



66 THE HISTORY OF 

were purchased only a few years ago by special 
efforts and contributions; the former at a cost of 
$100, and the latter at $450. These are regarded as 
very fine additions to the apparatus of the College, 
and add much interest to the studies and experi- 
ments of the class-room. An observatory on the 
campus would be a splendid addition; but as the 
finances of the College will not justify its erection at 
the present, we will be under the necessity of wait- 
ing until a more convenient season, unless some 
liberal-minded alumnus, or friend of the College, 
voluntarily comes forward and furnishes the means 
necessary for this purpose. 

THE ALUMNI. 

Heidelberg College has now about two hundred 
names enrolled on the list of its alumni, to whom it 
can refer as the best evidence of the thoroughness 
and comprehensiveness of its course of instruction. 
It indeed takes pleasure in pointing to them as 
proofs of the work it is doing, and is willing to leave 
the question, if it is not deserving of a generous sup- 
port to the decision of those who are acquainted 
with its graduates, who are scattered widely over 
the West, and are found in the various departments 
of life. The largest number, including more than 
one-third, are in the ranks of the ministry of the 
Reformed Church, and are filling some of its most 
important positions, so that the special object which 
was had in view in the establishment of Heidelberg 
College has been accomplished. Quite a number are 
in the legal profession. Four are occupying pro- 
fessorships in their Alma Mater> and several in other 
colleges, and rank with the best educators of the 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 67 

day; whilst a good proportion are found in the lower 
walks of life; showing that our colleges are designed 
to fit and prepare the youth of the day for any and 
every position to which they may, in the providence 
of God, be called. 

The history of colleges affords abundant proof that 
it is mainly to their alumni that they are to look for 
support and encouragement. It is indeed gratifying 
to take up the journals of the day, and read of the 
munificent donations that are reported as having been 
made by certain alumni to their Alma Mater. In 
some instances professorships are endowed, buildings 
erected, libraries increased, and other improvements 
made, which have added greatly to our educational 
facilities. Having themselves enjoyed the advantages 
of a liberal education, and knowing as they do its 
inestimable worth, it is to be expected that they will 
labor more in its interest than any other class of men ; 
for, strange as it may seem, it is nevertheless true, 
that there are still not a few who have no proper 
appreciation of the importance of education. Not 
having had any special advantages in this respect 
themselves in their younger years, they are satisfied 
if their children can get a good elementary training, 
such as can be had in pur public schools, and seem to 
think that this is all that is necessary for the practical 
purposes of life. And what is stranger still is, that 
there are others, who are even heard to speak against 
a regular collegiate education, as not being at all 
necessary, except in the case of those who wish to 
enter the learned professions, as if the only object of 
an education were the use that can be made of it. 
Where such views prevail it is easy to see that our 



68 THE HISTORY OF 

colleges, instead of finding sympathy and support, 
have to encounter direct opposition. It is different, 
however, with those who have themselves been at 
college and enjoyed the advantages it has afforded; 
for, knowing as they do what it has done for them, 
how it has disciplined and cultured their minds, 
strengthened their powers of thought, enlarged their 
scope of knowledge, added to their pleasures and 
enjoyments, widened the sphere of their influence, and 
fitted them for positions of usefulness and profit, which 
they could not have filled without it, they are in a 
position to form a better judgment of the worth of a 
collegiate education than those who have not been so 
highly favored, and may, therefore, be expected to 
encourage and do more for our colleges than others, 
according to the proverb, that where much has been 
received, there much should also be given. 

In this aspect of the subject, Heidelberg College 
has much reason to be gratified with its alumni, many 
of whom have already contributed, according to their 
means, to its support, and in some instances have 
done much to induce others to give, as our agent, 
H. Leonard, has uniformly testified. And although 
the Alumni Professorship, which the Association re- 
solved a few years ago to endow, has been permitted 
to rest quietly for a short time, in consequence of the 
financial embarrassment of the times, we have con- 
fidence that the enterprise will be revived ere long and 
completed. About $4,000 have been secured for 
this purpose, which must be regarded as a fair begin- 
ning, and sure pledge that it will not be permitted to 
remain in statu quo. Had it not been that most of 
the older alumni had already given to the endowment 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 69 

of the College, to the extent of their ability, when the 
project was started, it would now be much nearer 
completion. As it is there is no reason why it should 
be delayed. A united and earnest effort is all that is 
needed to make it a success. An average contribution 
of fifty dollars from each of the alumni will very nearly 
secure the amount required. It is true, some have 
only recently graduated, and are not able to do much 
at present; but whilst this is the case in some in- 
stances, there are doubtless others who can, if they 
only feel disposed, more than make up for the de- 
ficiency. Considering the importance of the project, 
and the lasting honor it will confer on the alumni of 
the College, showing as it will their gratitude and 
appreciation of what they have received from their 
Alma Mater, we cherish the fond hope, that the Asso- 
ciation will take the matter in hand, at its next meet- 
ing, and give it a new impulse. 

There are many ways in which a College may be 
benefited by its alumni. They can, if nothing more, 
speak a kind word in its behalf as occasion and oppor- 
tunity offer, and do what they can to maintain its 
honor and reputation. In this respect the alumni of 
Heidelberg College will not be wanting, judging of 
the future by the past, which furnishes one of the 
best assurances of the increased patronage and pros- 
perity which await it. With two hundred regular 
alumni, many of whom are occupying important posi- 
tions, and a much larger number who have drunk of 
its crystal fountain for a shorter time, and a still larger 
number of friends, scattered all over the Church, to 
advocate its claims and work in its interest, Heidel- 
berg College has a bright future before it, and may 



70 THE HISTORY OF 

confidently indulge the hope that Its darkest days are 
past. So may it be. 

THE LIBRARY. 

A good and well selected library is an indispensable 
requisite in a College. It is one of the things that no 
institution of any character can do without, as both 
professors and students often need books of reference, 
which they can not be expected to have in their own 
private libraries. This was felt by the Faculty and 
friends of the College soon after its establishment. 
But how to provide for the necessity, when there were 
so many other pressing wants, was a question which 
all were at a loss to answer. But according to the 
old adage, where there is a will there is a way, the 
want soon began to be provided for in a way which 
no one at first anticipated. Rev. J. G. Zahner, of 
Shanesville, Ohio, seeing the necessities of the case, 
gave and collected from friends, books to the number 
of about one hundred and fifty, which he shipped to 
Tiffin as a beginning. This formed the nucleus of the 
library we now have. 

Inspired by the beginning thus made, Rev. E. V. 
Gerhart, Professor of the Theological Seminary and 
President of the College, devoted the summer vaca- 
tion of 1852 in visiting New York and Philadelphia, 
in connection with a number of congregations within 
the bounds of the Eastern Synod, in the interest of 
the library. The result of the effort was quite satis- 
factory and encouraging, as about twelve hundred 
volumes were added to the library, mostly new and 
standard works in Theology, Philology, History, 
Literature, and Science. Most of the publishing 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 7 1 

houses in the cities, just named, gave liberally toward 
the object. 

In the same year an addition of about five hundred 
volumes was made to the library, at a very small ex- 
pense, through the Rev. N. Gehr, of Chambersburg, 
Pennsylvania (now of Philadelphia), during a tour on 
the Continent of Europe, comprising many of the 
best works published in Germany, making in all about 
eighteen hundred volumes, which, taking everything 
into consideration, exceeded the highest anticipations 
of the friends of the College. 

From this on to 1865 very little was done toward 
the increase of the library, when Wm. E. Schmertz, of 
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, generously, and without any 
solicitation, placed $500 in the hands of Rev. Geo. 
W. Williard (then of Dayton, Ohio), to be expended 
in the purchase of such books for the library as, in 
his judgment, would be calculated to do the most 
good, which was faithfully done in accordance with 
the wishes of the respected donor. 

In the year 1870, Rev. Albert Helfenstein, Jr., of 
North Wales, Pennsylvania, made a donation of five 
hundred and twenty-eight volumes. In a letter, con- 
taining a list of the books, he said: "I have long held 
them in reserve for this purpose, thinking that you 
would prize them on account of their contents and 
spirit. I purchased them at first with a view of aid- 
ing young men in the ministry. I now leave them to 
the disposal of a kind and wise Providence for further 
use. ,, Shortly after the donation the good brother 
died, and is now reaping the reward of his generosity. 

The last donation of books to the library was made 
in February, 1878, by Rev. S. K. Denius, of New 



72 THE HISTORY OF 

Castle, Indiana, one of our pioneer ministers in the 
West, who bequeathed his library, consisting of about 
eighty volumes, mostly theological works, with a num- 
ber of pamphlets and manuscripts. He, also, has since 
gone to his rest, having been very frail at the time he 
made the bequest. Long may his memory be cher- 
ished for his thoughtful remembrance of our institu- 
tions. 

By means of these and other smaller contributions 
the library of the Theological Seminary numbers about 
twenty-five hundred volumes, among which are found 
many rare and valuable works. 

As the College and Seminary were at first closely 
united, and the Seminary regarded as the more im- 
portant, in view of the ministry it furnished the Church 
in her needs, the books donated were given as the 
property of the Theological Seminary. In this all 
cheerfully acquiesced, and did what they could for 
the increase of the library, as the College had as free 
access to it as if it had been its own. No distinction 
has in fact been made, or thought of, in taking books 
out of the library, as the students of each depart- 
ment have been getting them as if they were held in 
common, showing the pleasant relation existing be- 
tween the College and Theological Seminary. 

In the early part of 1879, th e Faculty of the Col- 
lege, at the suggestion of the President, resolved to 
make an earnest effort to procure a library for the 
College, as it did not seem right that it should be 
without one of its own. The plan adopted was to 
secure at least one thousand volumes, as a start, by 
getting the friends of the College individually v to fur- 
nish the funds necessary to buy one or more books, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 73 

in which the names of the respective donors are to be 
written. The congregations and charges thus far vis- 
ited by the President have contributed freely, which, 
with two one hundred-dollar donations given by two 
ladies, have furnished the requisite means for a very 
fair beginning, so that the College library now con- 
tains about five hundred volumes of the latest and 
most approved works in Philosophy, Science, and Lit- 
erature. The effort will be continued until at least 
the number of volumes named is secured. 

To add to the convenience and attractiveness of the 
library, the large and commodious room in the Col- 
lege Building appropriated to this purpose was neatly 
fitted up a few years ago, and so arranged, by means 
of nicely constructed alcoves, as to afford ample room 
for the libraries of the Excelsior and Heidelberg Lit- 
erary Societies, along with those of the College and 
Theological Seminary, so that when all are counted 
together there are, at least, six thousand volumes to 
which the students have free access. 
f From the above it will be seen that those who have 
had the charge of our institutions have shown a com- 
mendable interest in securing a library such as is 
needed to meet the wants of the College. A very 
good beginning has been made, so that if those who 
come after us keep adding to it in the future, as has 
been done in the past, it will not be long until the 
collection of books will be all that can be desired. 
Much aid can be rendered in this direction by the do- 
nation of books, as was done by Rev. Messrs. Zahner, 
Helfenstein, and Denius, and the contribution of funds 
as by Wm. E. Schmertz, to all of whom the insti- 
tutions owe a debt of gratitude for what they have 



74 THE HISTORY OF 

done. Especially should the plan which has been 
devised for securing a library for the College meet 
with general favor. There ought to be a very large 
number of persons in the Church, friends of the Col- 
lege, who would be willing to furnish means for the 
purchase of at least one book within the present year. 
The plan is so simple, and the contribution so small, 
that there ought to be a very general response. 

THE GERMAN. 

Heidelberg College has always laid stress upon 
and afforded peculiar advantages for the study of 
the German language and literature. The Reformed 
Church, under whose auspices it was founded, being 
of German origin, and standing in the closest re- 
lation to the German population 'of this country, 
would be expected, if true to itself, to give spe- 
cial prominence to the German in its institutions of 
learning designed to raise up a ministry adapted to 
its special needs. It was only in this way that it 
could fulfill its mission, and do the work assigned it 
in the providence of God. 

When the College was first started, in 1850, the 
German was much more widely spoken than it now 
is. The transition to English in certain localities 
has been very rapid. Many pastoral charges that 
were almost exclusively German, have, within the 
last thirty years, become prevailingly English ; and 
yet, great as the change has been in this respect, 
the German is still fondly cherished, and spoken by 
a very large number of persons in the Reformed 
Church; and it is altogether probable, in view of 
the immense immigration that is yearly landing upon 
our shores from the Old World, that it will continue 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 75 

to be spoken for generations to come. This being 
so, it is to be expected that the children of these 
Germans will continue to have such a respect and 
love for the language of their fathers, as to make it 
necessary, in justice to them, to provide for this want 
in our institutions of learning. 

In addition to this, there are always some from 
English families, who desire to study the German in 
view of the great practical advantage to be derived 
from it, together with the beauty of the language 
and the rich treasures of thought contained in it. 
As a proof of this, we need only refer to the num- 
ber of American youth now in the different univer- 
sities of Germany, who have gone there to obtain a 
better knowledge of their language and literature. 
Such being the case, no institution in the Reformed 
Church can be true to its trust that would ignore or 
neglect the German. 

And although there have been institutions, such 
as the Mission House of Sheboygan, and Calvin In- 
stitute of Cleveland, that have been started since 
Heidelberg College w r as founded, which are prevail- 
ingly German, giving their instruction in that lan- 
guage, and are designed to provide for it in the 
fullest sense, the Trustees of Heidelberg College 
still feel it to be their duty to make special pro- 
visions for the study of the German, as much so, as 
if there were no other institutions that give such 
instruction. Ministers and other professional and 
business men, should have a knowledge of it, if they 
would succeed in their several callings, as well as 
men of letters and scientific attainments. Hence, 
instead of the German being studied less in the 



y6 THE HISTORY OF 

future than it has been in the past, the probabili- 
ties are that it will receive greater prominence and 
attention in our colleges and universities, and be at 
least a substitute for some of the studies contained 
in the curriculum, as is done in Harvard and some 
other universities. The subject has also been agi- 
tated, for some years past, in Heidelberg College, 
which led to the appointment of a committee, at the 
late meeting of the Board of Trustees, to take into 
consideration the propriety of making it a substitute 
in part for the Greek, or Latin, in the case of those 
students who desire it, and will give an equal, amount 
of attention to it. There is not much doubt but that 
the subject will continue to be agitated until such 
measures are adopted, as will give the German the 
place in our institutions of learning which its import- 
ance demands. 

That Heidelberg College has, according to its re- 
peated statements, afforded good opportunities for 
the study of the German, is evident from the fact 
that this department has been filled by men of 
known and recognized ability, and as being in the 
closest sympathy with it, such as Drs. Ruetenik, 
Rust, and Greding, and Rev. Messrs. Keller, Van Lu- 
thenau, Zimmerman, Epstein, and others. Any one, 
too, acquainted with the ministers of the Reformed 
Church, who are serving congregations and charges 
purely or only partly German, knows that a goodly 
number of those who are in the West received their 
education in Heidelberg College and Theological 
Seminary, and that they are among our most active 
and influential ministers. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 7J 

THE ATTENDANCE. 

The uniform patronage of an institution is . the 
best, and only sure evidence of the favor in which 
it is held by the community at large. Flaming 
advertisements widely circulated, and extravagant 
statements made as to what may be done in a few 
sessions, may, for a time, captivate and deceive the 
unsuspecting and credulous, but will soon lose their 
effect. Ready and willing as many persons are to 
be misled, an intelligent and discriminating public 
will, sooner or later, right itself, and give its support 
to such institutions as really deserve its patronage. 

Heidelberg College has, all along, guarded against 
the unwise measures which some institutions have 
adopted to bring themselves into notice, preferring 
rather to let the work it does, and the students it 
sends out from time to time, bear testimony to the 
thoroughness of its course of instruction. There 
has, in fact, been so little advertising done in the 
journals of the day, that some of its friends have, 
at times, been disposed to find fault with those who 
had the charge of it for not bringing it more promi- 
nently before the public. Hence, the patronage 
which it has enjoyed may be regarded as furnishing 
good proof of the claim it has to a generous support. 

The large number of colleges in the West — Ohio 
alone having over thirty — necessarily divides the 
patronage, so that it is not to be expected that the 
attendance on any will be as large as if there were 
not so many. Some of these colleges, too, have 
been long established, have fine buildings, large en- 
dowments, and libraries, which give- them an advant- 



78 THE HISTORY OF 

age over those of a more recent date, as these things 
often have much weight with young men in deciding 
where they will pursue their studies. 

In addition to these disadvantages, the Reformed 
Church in the West, under whose auspices Heidel- 
berg College was started, and from which it is ex- 
pected to draw its main support, is comparatively 
small, and not as wealthy as some of the other de- 
nominations by its side, which has made its progress 
slow, so that it has taken years to get things in good 
shape. And what patronage the Church has had 
has been divided, especially as far as the German is 
concerned, between the different institutions we now 
have. And yet, notwithstanding all these things, 
Heidelberg College has, from the start, had a very 
encouraging attendance, more so, indeed, than its 
friends had any right to anticipate. For some years 
past it has had the largest number of students of 
any institution in the Reformed Church, East or 
West, which may be taken as an index of the gen- 
eral favor in which it is held. The following table 
will show the number of students in attendance from 
1850, when the College was started, to the present 
time. As the different courses were not at first 
kept distinct, we will merely give the sum total for 
each year until 1 859, when a correct classification 
was made; 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 



79 







£ 












> 


< 











Year. 


Q 


H 

en 


9 


K 


p5 







Total. 




< 


W 


Pn 


S 


s 






U 


& 


O 


|d 


w 






< 


P^ 


w 


H- » 


tfi 




1851 












149 


1852 












174 


1853 












203 


i8S4 












222 


18SS 












187 


1856 


No 


report. 










1857 












147 


1858 












160 


1859 


80 


33 


5 


9 


6 


133 


i860 


67 


17 


12 


4 


5 


105 


1861 


124 


18 


15 


12 


5 


i74 


1862 


120 


15 


12 


10 


4 


161 


1863 


IOI 


14 


10 


8 




1 33 


1864 


116 


35 


30 


i5 


1 


197 


1865 


i°S 


J 5 


12 


9 


4 


145 


1866 


*5* 


10 


8 


4 


5 


178 


1867 


137 


21 


n 


4 


4 


177 


1868 


156 


40 


16 


2 


13 


227 


1869 


no 


32 


20 


6 


14 


182 


1870 


96 


40 


2 5 


7 


13 


181 


1871 


117 


27 


J 5 


15 


8 


182 


1872 


83 


x 7 


2 3 


5 


16 


144 


i873 


78 


29 


17 


5 


10 


161 


1874 


124 


3i 


22 


11 


8 


196 


187S 


106 


5o 


2 3 


n 


18 


221 


1876 


75 


47 


21 


4 , 


18 


165 


1877 


70 


42 


29 


6 


n 


158 


1878 


85 


36 


26 


9 


J 3 


169 


1879 


88 


30 


30 


9 


11 


168 



THE CO-EDUCATION OF THE SEXES. 

Ladies have, from the start, been admitted to Hei- 
delberg College upon equal terms with gentlemen. 
There has been no distinction of sex. Scholarships 



80 THE HISTORY OF 

have, all along, been sold without any specifications 
as to who might go upon them. As the co-education 
of the sexes was, however, something new in the 
Churchy some dissatisfaction was at first expressed, 
as might have been expected; but, no one tabling 
any objection, it prevailed in Heidelberg as it has in 
most of the colleges of the West. Thus far, it has 
worked well; nor has anything occurred that has led 
the authorities to consider the impropriety of the 
arrangement, so that it may be regarded as fairly 
settled, notwithstanding Heidelberg is the only Col- 
lege in the Reformed Church where the co-education 
of the sexes is recognized. 

At first there was a special course of study estab- 
lished, as the Ladies' Course, and a Principal ap- 
pointed to have the oversight of it. In the course 
of some years it was abandoned, as a separate course, 
there being no special necessity for it, as the ladies 
took the same studies the gentlemen did, and recited 
with them. 

But whilst ladies have, all along, been admitted 'to 
Heidelberg College upon equal terms with gentle- 
men, the number in attendance has been compara- 
tively small, notwithstanding good accommodations 
have been made for them in the large and commodi- 
ous Hall erected, in 1873, on the campus. Why 
this is so is hard to say, unless it be that the Church 
has not as yet come to the full consciousness of the 
importance of female education. 

Prejudices and false notions are often hard to eradi- 
cate. It maybe so in the present case; and that, as 
light is shed upon the subject, parents may gradually 
be brought to treat their children alike, and give their 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 8 1 

daughters equal advantages with their sons. There 
is no good reason why they should not do so, at least, 
as far as the benefits of a liberal education are con- 
cerned. 

It is also to be admitted, that whilst ladies have 
had equal privileges in Heidelberg College with gen- 
tlemen, there have only been thirty-four out of one 
hundred and eighty-eight who have graduated, and, 
of these, only one classically — the rest all took the 
Scientific Course. Some started, with a good deal 
of enthusiasm, upon the study of the Classics, and 
made good progress, perhaps, as much so as the gen- 
tleme», but fell back by the time they reached the 
Sophomore or Junior Class. Their power of endur- 
ance gave way. Why this is so, it may, again, be 
difficult to say. We would not, however, attribute 
it to any natural inferiority of the one to the other; 
but would incline to the belief, that it is the result 
chiefly of the false notions, that are prevalent in 
regard to female education. Let these once be 
removed, and our daughters come to realize, that a 
complete and thorough education is just as neces- 
sary to fit them for the places they are to fill in life, 
as it is for our sons, the presumption is that they 
will equally avail themselves of the advantages offered, 
and keep pace with the other sex. 

ITS MORAL AND RELIGIOUS LIFE. 

The history of Heidelberg College would be incom- 
plete without some distinct reference to its moral and 
religious life, as this has ever been regarded one of its 
marked characteristics. It was founded by men of 
deep, earnest religious convictions, with the design of 
promoting sound Christian learning, and, at the same 



82 THE HISTORY OF 

time, providing a ministry adapted to the needs of the 
Reformed Church in the West. It is a child of many- 
prayers; and has been, and still is, looked to, not only 
as a place of learning, but as a fountain from which 
many streams shall issue to make glad the heritage of 
the Lord. 

There are some persons who have very strange and 
incorrect notions about colleges. Hearing and read- 
ing about some of the worst things that have occurred 
in them in the past, which it would seem are destined 
to an immortality of fame, and of the occasional in- 
subordination and rowdyism, that now and then take 
place in some of the colleges of the day, they infer 
that they must be places of great wickedness and de- 
moralization, where it is dangerous for a young man 
of good habits and morals to go. This false notion is 
also strengthened by young men, who are now and 
then disciplined, and, perhaps, sent home for their 
bad conduct, trying to justify themselves by report- 
ing all kinds of tricks and improprieties among the 
students, so as to leave the impression that they were 
no worse than others, and have therefore been un- 
justly dealt with. And it is really astonishing how 
ready some persons are to lend a listening ear to such 
reports, and even to repeat them without ever making 
any inquiries of those in authority, whether these things 
are so or not. A more thorough acquaintance with 
the management and internal working of our institu- 
tions would go far to remove these false impressions. 

That there are dangers and temptations to which 
the young are exposed in our colleges is readily ad- 
mitted ; for, guard and fortify them, as we may, there 
will always be enticements of some kind, or other to 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 83 

evil. Whilst the world and the human heart remain 
what they are, there is no place where any one is 
beyond the reach of temptation. There is also much 
in the situation and environments of those attending 
school, away from the influence of the family and 
home, that is calculated to occasion anxiety for their 
safety and moral rectitude. Coming, as they do, from 
different parts of the country, it is wonderful how soon 
they become acquainted with each other, and form 
the most intimate and lasting friendships. Their 
minds and hearts seem to turn toward each other 
with great readiness and pliability, so that their inter- 
course is the freest and most confiding. What one 
knows, all know; and if there is any trouble, or diffi- 
culty that arises, they are generally of one mind, and 
stick together, whether right or wrong. They are all 
the while acting and reacting on each other. " There 
is no community/' it has been said, "like a College 
for the propagation of influence. Like so many par- 
ticles of a fluid, if one is at rest, all are at rest; if 
one moves, all are on the move. Impulses are com- 
municated without delay or resistance, and motion is 
simultaneous through the whole body. At the same 
time there is no community where impressions are 
deeper, influences more permanent, and attachments 
more enduring." Any one who has ever been at Col- 
lege knows how these things are, and often wonders, 
when he looks back to this interesting and formative 
period of his life, how it was possible for him to have 
been spellbound as he was. In circumstances like 
these, it is easy for one that is inexperienced and con- 
fiding to be led in the way of sin and transgression. 
But where are our young men entirely free from the 



84 THE HISTORY OF 

contaminating influence of evil? Is it not a painful 
fact that every town, village, city or community has 
its enticements to sin? And is it not also equally 
true, that many young men turn aside from the path 
of virtue, and become inebriates and moral wrecks 
whilst at home under the eye and influence of pious 
parents and friends? The fact is, there is no place, 
guard it as you may, where our children are not in 
danger of being led astray. 

Judging from what we know of colleges generally, 
and from what we have seen during our connection 
with Heidelberg for nearly fourteen years, we are dis- 
posed to believe that our colleges — those, at least, that 
are under denominational influence and supervision — 
are so guarded and permeated with the elements of 
religion as to make it safe for parents to place their 
children under the care of those who have the con- 
trol of them, with the confident assurance that they 
will be encouraged to a life of morality and virtue. 
We are certainly justified in saying that the atmos- 
phere which pervades our colleges is healthful and 
decidedly Christian. The trustees and professors are, 
with few exceptions, not only professors of religion, 
but, in most cases, they are the leading men of the 
denominations represented, whilst the majority of stu- 
dents found in them are decidedly pious. The course 
of instruction, if not positively Christian, is certainly 
free from everything that would tend to atheism and 
irreligion. No one of known infidel sentiments, or of 
a bad character, would be tolerated in any of our col- 
leges as an instructor, which, of itself, is sufficient to 
show how pure and healthful the atmosphere is which 
pervades them; so that, if those who attend upon 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 85 

them are enticed into sin, and degenerate, it Is not 
the fault of the institution, but must be attributed to 
other causes. 

The religious life of Heidelberg College, whilst free 
from sectarianism and bigotry, has, nevertheless, been 
clearly marked and defined. This has been acknowl- 
edged and expressed in all its public utterances. In- 
stead of attempting to ignore, or keep any of the 
doctrines of the gospel in the background, there has 
been a persistent effort to take advantage of every 
occasion that might present itself to show that all 
truth, whether natural or revealed, centers in Christ, 
for whom and by whom all things consist. Lectures 
are given during the year on the Bible and the Evi- 
dences of Christianity, in which the objections of in- 
fidels are met, and the gospel of Christ shown to be 
worthy of universal acceptation. The recitations of 
each day are begun with appropriate religious service, 
upon which all the students are required to attend, 
which, in connection with the Sunday and weekly 
services, are designed and calculated to cultivate the 
moral and religic/us nature along with the intellect. 
In this way, special pains have been taken to make 
Heidelberg College a Christian Institution, as was de- 
signed by its founders, to which parents might send 
their children with the assurance, that the education 
which they receive would be such as would fit them 
for the work and business of life. 

That the College has met this expectation of its 
founders, and has uniformly exerted a good moral 
influence upon those who have attended it, is attested 
by all the reports, that have been made of the con- 
duct and deportment of the students. There have 



86 THE HISTORY OF 

been, comparatively, few cases of discipline, and 
no young men have gone out from it of dissolute 
and abandoned character. More than one-third of 
those who have graduated are now in the active 
duties of the ministry, whilst nearly all the alumni 
are filling honorable and influential positions, show- 
ing that the moral and religious influence exerted on 
them whilst in College was of a healthful character. 

And although there have been a number of young 
gentlemen and ladies connected with the College at 
different times, not members of any church, it is 
believed, that its influence upon them has been such 
as to deepen their convictions of the truth and divine 
origin of Christianity, so that they have carried with 
them, as they have gone out from the College into 
the world, a greater respect for religion and its insti- 
tutions than if they had never enjoyed any connec- 
tion with it. Were it necessary, we ' could give a 
number of instances in confirmation of this assertion. 

We do not think that any students have left the 
College with settled convictions against the teach- 
ings of Christianity. We know instances where 
false notions were imbibed by certain young men, 
before they came to Heidelberg College, who were 
either led to give them up, or modify them before 
they left, from which it may be inferred, that the 
moral and religious influence of the College has, 
upon the whole, been sound and healthy. 

ORATORICAL CONTESTS. 

It has been common in all ages to have amusements 
for the gratification of the young, together with the 
healthy development ot their physical and intellectual 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 87 

natures. Every student of history knows to what an 
extent these were carried in ancient Greece and Rome. 
Following their example, the leading colleges of New 
England introduced the practice, some years ago, of 
having annual contests in the way of boating, etc. , 
among the students, giving a valuable prize to the 
successful competitor. As might have been ex- 
pected, great enthusiasm was excited among the 
young men of those colleges. 

The West, feeling that it should not be behind in 
anything that would promote a laudable ambition, 
and add to the pleasure of the young men attending 
College, conceived the idea of holding State and 
inter-State oratorical contests. These contests, al- 
though a somewhat new departure, seemed to be 
more in accord with collegiate education than boat- 
ing and other exercises, calculated to develop the 
physical powers, as they are designed to cultivate an 
easy and elegant style of composition, with a ready 
and natural delivery, accomplishments of rare excel- 
lence in the scholar. 

Oratory, like all other arts, requires special care 
and attention that it may thrive and flourish. If left 
to itself it will, like everything else that is good, de- 
generate and come to naught. No one, not even the 
most gifted, has become an accomplished orator with- 
out the most patient effort and practice. Demos- 
thenes, who perhaps of all orators made the greatest 
impression upon the age in which he lived by his 
impassioned eloquence, attained the lofty eminence 
he held in Greece only after years of toil and effort. 
What is natural and easy does not for this reason 
preclude study and practice, as if eminence could be 



88 THE HISTORY OF 

attained without this. Hence these contests, although 
novel, were excellent in their design and intention. 

The first of these contests in Ohio was held in 
Akron, in the early part of 1875; nine of the col- 
leges in Ohio taking part in it. As might be ex- 
pected, great interest and anxiety were felt as to who 
would carry off the palm, when Oberlin and Hudson, 
hoary with age, were among the competitors. Never 
did Grecian youth strive more earnestly and manfully 
for the olive wreath than did Ohio's sons strive to 
obtain the palm in this first oratorical struggle. To 
the praise of Heidelberg College, her representative, 
E. Herb ruck, of the Class of 1875, took the first and 
highest honor, which made him the representative of 
the State of Ohio in the inter-State contest, that was 
held in Indianapolis, Indiana, the same year. 

Three years later, Miss Delia A. Dunnell, of the 
Class of 1878, took the second prize for composition 
in the contest that was held in Tiffin, Ohio. These 
two honors, that Heidelberg took in the five contests 
that have been held between the Colleges of Ohio, 
afford the best and strongest proof of its equality 
with them in thoroughness of discipline and scholarly 
attainments ; a result that ought to be very gratifying 
to its friends. 

ANNUAL COMMENCEMENTS. 

Commencement Week, as it is called, is ordinarily 
regarded as a gala time in all colleges. It is looked 
forward to for weeks with intense anxiety, and the 
greatest preparation is made for it. This arises from 
the literary interest associated with these occasions, 
and the reunions which then take place. The older 
a College is, and the more graduates it has sent out, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 89 

the greater will be the interest taken in these Com- 
mencements. There is manifestly a great improve- 
ment in this respect in Heidelberg College. Having 
now about two hundred alumni, and a much larger 
number who have spent a shorter time at the College, 
there are more present now than formerly. Those 
who attend regularly see and speak of the change. 

Those who have been at College only for a few 
years form such attachments to the institution, place, 
and students, that the desire becomes so strong to go 
back at Commencement that it is often regarded a 
great privation not to be able to do so. This is not 
to be wondered at when we remember that the attach- 
ments of youth ~are stronger than those of any other 
period of life. 

The students also regard it as a time of special in- 
terest. It is to them the close of a year's work, 
when they are examined in most of their studies, and 
promoted to a class higher in the course, if they have 
been studious. Desirous, as all young persons are 
who have any ambition, to make a fair showing, they 
are solicitous to stand a good examination, and carry 
with them on their return home a satisfactory grade 
to their parents and friends. They are, therefore, busy 
for weeks previous in reviewing their studies, and get- 
ting ready for an approved examination. 

Commencement Week at Heidelberg College, ac- 
cording to the programme that has been observed for 
several years past, is introduced by the Baccalaureate 
Sermon, preached by the President to the graduating 
class on Sunday evening, in the English Reformed 
Church of the city. The examinations are held 
during Monday and Tuesday. Monday evening the 



90 THE HISTORY OF 

Address before the Literary Societies is delivered. 
Tuesday evening the Theological Seminary has its 
Commencement Exercises; and on Wednesday even- 
ing the Address is delivered before the Alumni 
Association; after which the members ordinarily re- 
pair to some suitable place, where they have refresh- 
ments and a jolly time in renewing old associations. 
On Tuesday the Board of- Trustees holds its annual 
meeting, and reviews the general situation of things, 
and adopts such measures as seem calculated to add 
to the efficiency of the College. The Alumni Asso- 
ciation has its annual meeting Wednesday morning; 
the afternoon being set apart for Class-Day Exercises, 
which attract a large crowd to hear the wit and 
humor expected on the occasion. Thursday is ordi- 
narily the great day, as the graduates then deliver 
their orations and receive their degrees, which intro- 
duce them to the Bachelorship of the Arts or Sci- 
ences, according to the course they have taken, and 
make their solemn transition from the College to the 
active duties of life. The whole is concluded on 
Thursday evening with the President's Levee, at 
which the professors, students, alumni, and friends 
of the College in general, meet at the President's 
residence and have a good social time; after which 
the students return to their homes to enjoy a rest 
during the vacation that follows. 

GENERAL REMARKS. 

No periodical has been published in the interest 
of the College except what was called the College 
Times, which had an existence of a few years, but 
has been discontinued for the want of support. It 



4 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 9 1 

was published by editors from the College and Theo- 
logical Seminary, and was a sprightly paper. 

Each class has from three to five recitations, or 
lectures, each day. Text-books are used in all the 
branches taught, but not slavishly followed. The 
recitations are conducted in such a way as to lead the 
student to think and master the subject for himself. 
But little value is put upon what is known as the 
cramming method, as it is more likely to trammel and 
fetter the mind than to unfold and develop its powers.. 

The discipline, whilst firm and positive, is ex- 
ercised in such a way as to teach the student the im- 
portant duty of self-government, and submission to 
authority, as a matter of prime importance in edu- 
tion, and is enforced by an appeal to the sense of 
right and personal responsibility more than by harsh 
and arbitrary measures. 

Examinations are held at the close of each term, 
or whenever a class has finished any particular branch 
of study. Grades are made out for scholarship, de- 
portment, and attendance, at the close of each term, 
and forwarded to parents, or guardians. Any student 
falling below the average grade of 60, on a scale of 
100, is compelled to go in the next lower class. 

The expenses are very moderate, more so than in 
most of colleges. About $175 will, with proper econ- 
omy, cover all the expenses, excepting clothing and 
traveling. 

The College having been established by the Re- 
formed Church, stands in hearty sympathy with its 
teachings 'in their true historical sense, as contained 
in its symbol of faith, the Heidelberg Catechism, 



92 THE HISTORY OF 

and has endeavored to render itself worthy of its 
confidence and support. 

Courses of lectures have at different times been 
given during the winter by the professors and others, 
with a view of diffusing general intelligence and a lit- 
erary taste in the community, and of calling atten- 
tion to the College. 

CONCLUDING REMARKS. 

We have now given a history of the rise, growth, 
and present standing of Heidelberg College. That 
some things have been omitted, and others presented 
imperfectly, was to be expected. We have done the 
best we could with the material at hand. Short as 
it is, it has been varied and checkered, having its 
bright and dark sides. There were times when it 
was hard to see how it would overcome its financial 
embarrassment; but by persevering efforts, and 
hoping against hope, the clouds gradually disap- 
peared, and the clear sunlight shone upon its path. 
This was, however, to have been expected, starting, 
as it did, with nothing to go upon but its hopes. Let 
us rejoice that its darkest days are past. 

It has done a good work for the cause of Educa- 
tion and the Reformed Church. Many have drunk 
at its crystal fountain; some for a short time, and 
others going through the entire course, reaping 
thereby the full benefit which it offers. To the Re- 
formed Church, by which it was started and has been 
chiefly maintained, it has, like a grateful child, tried 
to return seven-fold for all it has received. It has 
filled the ranks of its ministers with men well qualified 
for the work, raised the standard of education, and 
quickened its general life and activity, at a compar- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 93 

atively small expense. Whilst other colleges have 
received large and princely donations, and made a 
great noise and flourish, it has quietly pursued the 
even tenor of its way, and scattered unnumbered 
blessings in its path. 

Looking back over its history, and seeing the work 
it has done, there is ample proof that it was really 
needed, and that its founders acted wisely in its estab- 
lishment. It has had a mission to fulfill in the prov- 
idence of God, and has thus far been true to its work, 
doing it to the best of its ability. What it has done 
is the pledge and prophecy of what it may yet do in 
the future. Its friends have every reason to rally 
around it, and add to its efficiency year after year, 
and should not relax their efforts until it is placed on 
the broadest foundation of liberal culture. To do 
this there is much yet to be done. New buildings 
should be erected, the endowment, cabinet, appa- 
ratus, and library, should all be increased, whilst the 
campus, with all that pertains to it, should have the 
attractions and surroundings of a College of the first 
class. If those who come after us will only do as 
much in the next thirty years, as has been done, there 
will be a wonderful advance. Let us hope and pray 
that when the next history shall be written there will 
be sufficient reason to say, What has God not done 
for Heidelberg College? 

A PLEA FOR COLLEGIATE EDUCATION. 

Having now finished our history, it might be 
expected that we would make a plea in behalf of 
collegiate education, with special reference to Hei- 
delberg College, of which we have been speaking. 
Strange as it may seem, there are still many who 



94 THE HISTORY OF 

have very incorrect views in regard to collegiate 
education. Not a few see no need of it, and are 
satisfied if their children can only obtain a good 
elementary education, such as they may get in our 
public schools, whilst others again go so far as to 
oppose it, except in the case of those who want to 
engage in the learned professions. Whilst such views 
prevail, even to a limited extent, the effect will be 
bad as it respects the attendance upon College. It 
is gratifying, however, to know that these prejudices 
and objections are fast passing away before the 
advanced intelligence of the day, and we may hope 
that the time is not far distant when our youth gen- 
erally will enjoy the advantages, that are now so 
freely offered in our colleges for obtaining a com- 
plete education. 

Much as may be said in favor of our public schools, 
sustained by the munificence of the State, and for 
this reason open alike to all, whether rich or poor, 
for the purpose of obtaining a common and element- 
tary education, such as is necessary for the transac- 
tion of the ordinary business of life, and for the 
proper exercise of the elective franchise, they are 
not all that is needed. The growing and advanced 
civilization of the day demands something better and 
higher, so that our colleges are a necessity. It would 
indeed be a sad thing for us, as a nation, if we were to 
stop short with the education that may be obtained 
in our public schools. Instead of this we would say, 
Make our colleges and higher institutions thorough 
in every respect; spare no pains or expense to add 
to their efficiency; inform the people in regard to 
their object and work; encourage the young to enter 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 95 

them, and bring their advantages as nearly within 
the reach of all as possible. Neither the State nor 
the Church has anything to fear from the general 
and thorough education of the people. Christianity 
has always been the patron of learning, and invites 
the most thorough and candid investigation of its 
claims. If it can not stand the test of an enlight- 
ened criticism it must go down. Hence the states- 
man and Christian both alike place a high value upon 
the most thorough and complete culture that can be 
obtained, and rejoice in every advance that is made. 

The following remarks are so true and expressive 
of what we wish to say upon this subject that we 
can not refrain from giving them: " Quite distinct 
from the common school, on the one hand, and from 
the professional seminary on the other, though sus- 
taining an important relation to both, the College is 
intended to lay a broad foundation in a thoroughly 
disciplined mind for all liberal culture, for all high 
attainments and achievements. Its principal aim is 
to develop and discipline the faculties, to call them 
into strenuous exercise, and impart to them a healthy 
tone, and train them for energetic, yet well-balanced 
action ; to give strength, beauty and symmetry to 
the intellectual and moral powers ; in a word, to educate 
the whole man. The college is properly and pre-em- 
inently an educational institution. And so thoroughly 
is this fact wrought into the consciousness of the com- 
munity, that, in common parlance, an educated man 
is a man that has received a college education" 

That there have been and still are many self-made 
or educated men, who never enjoyed the advantages 
of a collegiate education, is no argument against it, 



96 THE HISTORY OF 

as these are the exceptions and not the rule. That 
men like Franklin, Washington, Johnson, Wilson, 
Irving, and others, who have been blessed with 
peculiar natural endowments, and have by unusual 
efforts worked their way up in life so as to obtain 
the highest positions of honor and usefulness, is no 
reason that all can and may do it. Where one suc- 
ceeds in this way there are scores that fail, and never 
make anything of themselves, merely because they 
had no one to help and direct them. It is also to 
be borne in mind that those who rise by their own 
efforts are not generally the best educated and safest 
guides. They often make great mistakes, and have 
to fall back upon those who have enjoyed better 
advantages to help them out of the straits into which 
they sometimes get. None know the disadvantages 
resulting from the want of a thorough education 
more than these self-made men, as they are called ; 
so that they are often the warmest advocates of a 
collegiate education. Thus Franklin strongly advo- 
cated the study of the classics in our higher schools 
of learning, studied them himself in advanced life, 
and is said to have made the first translation of a 
classic author in America, for his own gratification 
and the benefit of a friend, and drew up a project 
for the founding of a College. 

Our colleges have without doubt contributed 
largely to the growth and advancement of our 
country. They have furnished every department of 
the Church and State with a large number of the 
best men who have served them. There is not a 
village, school, or congregation, that has not been 
benefited by them in some way, directly or indi- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 97 

rectly. "Planted, as they were, by our fathers in 
the wilderness, side by side with republican liberty and 
primitive Christianity, college education has grown with 
their growth and strengthened with their strength, 
till now, like three stately trees, of different form 
and kind, of separate life and organization, yet lend- 
ing each to each mutual support, borrowing each 
from the others an added beauty, and each essential 
to the perfection, if not to the very existence, of the 
others, they have struck their blended roots deep 
into every acre of our soil, and spread their inter- 
laced branches wide over all the land, and men of 
every class and condition sit beneath their common 
shade, and eat in abundance of their diverse, yet 
wholesome food." 

It is also a fact worthy of note that, nearly all our 
colleges, like Heidelberg, were started originally by 
the Church, and have received the warmest support 
and patronage of the very best men of the country. 
Thus Harvard College was founded in the service of 
Christianity by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1638, only 
eighteen years after their first landing on Plymouth 
Rock. Yale College was started by a few clergy- 
men in 1700, bringing forty volumes of books from 
their own private libraries, saying: "These books 
we give for the founding of a College in Connec- 
ticut." The same is true of Oberlin, Western Re- 
serve, and the colleges of the West generally. They 
are the outgrowth of the Church, have enjoyed the 
fostering care of the best and most liberal-minded 
men, and have done much to develop the country 
by diffusing intelligence among the people, and en- 
couraging whatever is good and tends to the eleva- 
7 



98 THE HISTORY OF 

tion of the race. The blessing of God has signally- 
rested on them. 

"Remove the colleges, and you take down the 
whole fabric of our social, political and religious his- 
tory. Extinguish the colleges, and you put out the 
eyes both of the Church and of the State. Take away 
the colleges, and you leave education, politics and 
religion without competent guides; the school, the 
Church, and the State, all without a suitable head." 

That our colleges are popular with the people is 
evident from their rapid increase and the immense 
contributions given for their support. It is said that 
there are now three hundred and fifty six colleges, 
not to say anything of seminaries, etc., in the United 
States; two hundred and forty-five of which have 
been organized within the last thirty years. No such 
rapid increase of schools of a high order has ever 
been heard of in the history of any other nation. 
The contributions given for the establishment and 
endowment of colleges during the years 1873-4-5 
and 6 — years of general depression in business — are 
reported at $16,773,000. Of these three hundred 
and fifty-six colleges nine-tenths are under the direct 
care and supervision of the Church, and are so 
guarded that there is little danger that they will ever 
be perverted by infidel teaching. There is much in 
all this for which w T e, as a nation, ought to be thank- 
ful that such agencies have been started for the 
advancement of civilization and the good of mankind. 

And whilst it is true that in the midst of all these 
princely contributions Heidelberg College has not 
been a great sharer, it has still not been forgotten. 
Many friends have gathered around it, who have 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 99 

given the best evidence of their sincere attachment 
and good will by what they have done; so that, 
whilst it has had no Peabody or Vanderbilt to 
endow it by a single contribution, this has been par- 
tially made up for by the number who have come to 
its support, and done what they could. Hence, whilst 
its progress has not been as rapid as it might other- 
wise have been, there is reason to believe that the 
trials and adversities through which it has passed 
have contributed to its permanency and endurance. 
Taking everything into consideration, the friends 
of Heidelberg College have reason to rejoice in the 
progress it has made, and should now unite their 
efforts to increase the number of students in attend- 
ance, so as to enlarge its sphere of usefulness. Small 
as the Reformed Church is along by the side of some 
other denominations in the West, it might and would 
have double the attendance upon the College it has 
founded for the intellectual and moral training of its 
children, if the importance of a thorough education 
were felt as it should be. There are hundreds of 
families within the bounds of the Synod of Ohio 
alone, blessed with a competency of this world's 
goods, who are suffering their children to grow up 
with nothing more than the meagerest elementary 
education, and thus very imperfectly fitted for the 
business of life. They will toil hard, and use all 
kinds of economy, in order that they may give their 
children a good outfit, when they leave the parental 
home to set up for themselves, whilst in not a few 
instances their mental culture is so neglected, that 
they are incompetent to take care of what is given 
them. Parents should be made to feel, that they 



IOO THE HISTORY OF 

owe duties to their children besides those which per- 
tain to their temporal well-being, and that they are 
just as much bound to give them a good education 
as to provide for them a home. 

But how is this state of things to be remedied? 
And how are we to bring the community to see the 
importance of collegiate education? That our col- 
leges are not supported as they should be is patent 
to all. Even those who do not send their children 
deplore, in many instances, the neglect of higher 
education. To remedy an evil is ordinarily no easy 
thing. Prejudices are hard to overcome. We live 
in an age of excitement and bustle, when young men 
are in a great hurry to get into business in the hope 
of making a fortune in a day, and do not stop to 
think of the preparation necessary to success in life. 
Hence we need more thoughtful consideration and 
instruction among the people as to the true end and 
purpose of collegiate education. Errors must be cor- 
rected, and the public mind disabused of the false 
notions that are abroad respecting our colleges, which 
look upon them as places of sport and amusement, 
where it is dangerous to send our children, and which 
are not designed for the young generally, but only 
for a select few who intend to enter the learned pro- 
fession, or to devote themselves to literary pursuits. 
Whether these notions are avowed or not, they are, 
without doubt, serious hinderances in the way of col- 
legiate education, and need to be corrected. 

It must be confessed, also, that there has been, 
and still is, much indiscretion on the part of many 
who have enjoyed the advantages of a collegiate 
education, in that they have, in too many instances, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. IOI 

turned away from, and spoken disparagingly, of the 
common and ordinary pursuits of life, as if any one 
who had been at College was above them. Some 
parents have also acted equally indiscreet in en- 
couraging their children in such notions. The re- 
sult has been, that many young men who would 
have made good farmers and mechanics, if they had 
turned their attention in this direction after they left 
College, wishing to enter the higher professions, for 
which they had no adaptedness, made miserable fail- 
ures as lawyers and ministers. The mistake, in all 
such cases, was not that they went to College and 
obtained an education — this was all right — but that, 
having an education, they wanted to be something 
for which they had no natural fitness. A good edu- 
cation, if rightly used, is an advantage in every de- 
partment of life. A farmer, mechanic, tradesman, 
clerk, or any other person, no matter what his call- 
ing, whether high or low, ought to fill his position 
and do his work better by being educated than if he 
is uneducated. Ignorance is always a hinderance 
to promotion. Hence, when a young man goes to 
College, it should be to develop and draw out, in 
their harmony and strength, his intellectual and 
moral powers; or, to express it in other words, it 
should be to make a man of liimself, in order that 
he may be fitted, in the highest degree, for what- 
ever sphere he is best adapted. Such an education 
our children ought to have, irrespective of sex or 
social standing; and the parent who has the means 
to give it to his children, and yet does not do it, pre- 
ferring to give what he has in land and bonds, acts 
very unwisely, and does them a great wrong. It 



102 THE HISTORY OF 

would be far better, as a rule, to spend more in the 
education of the rising generation, so that, when 
they start in life, even though they may not have 
as much to go upon, knowing how to use what they 
have, so as to turn it to the greatest account, the 
outcome will be better than if they had begun with- 
out an education. 

We would be glad if what we have said, as to the 
true end and object of a collegiate education could, 
in some way, reach all the members of the Reformed 
Church in the West, that they might be led to think 
of it as they may not have done. Not a few of 
them have contributed to Heidelberg College. They 
love to hear of its prosperity. There are at least 
1,400 scholarships scattered through the territory of 
the Synod of Ohio. This is creditable and praise- 
worthy, and furnishes the best evidence of their in- 
terest in the cause of education. Having done this 
much, they should now avail themselves of the bene- 
fits to which they are entitled. The College can 
readily accommodate double the number of students 
now in attendance, and would be glad if all those 
who hold scholarships would have them in use. Let 
there be, therefore, a united effort among the friends 
of Heidelberg College to extend its benefits far and 
wide, and make it a power for good in the land. 



SECOND PART. 



BACCALAUREATE ADDRESSES AND SERMONS. 

The Second Part of the book comprises the Baccalaureate 
Addresses and Sermons of the Author to the Classes that have 
graduated since his connection wiih the College, in 1866, as its 
President, to the present time. The Addresses were delivered on 
Commencement Day, when the degrees were conferred, which will 
account for their brevity as compared with the Sermons, which were 
preached to the Graduating Classes on Sunday preceding. These 
addresses and sermons, although prepared originally without any 
intention of publication, are given substantially as they were de- 
livered, with such slight alterations here and there as were neces- 
sary from the hurried manner in which they were gotten up, believ- 
ing that they would be more acceptable to the members of the 
several Classes than if we had made greater changes in them. We 
hope the reader will bear this in mind, and not view them with a 
critic's eye. 

(103) 



BACCALAUREATE ADDRESS 



TO THE 



Class of 1867. 



Names of Class 



F. Moyer, . Classical, • Bremen, Ohio. 

S. B. Yockey, " . Wadsworth, Ohio, 

J. H. Ridgeley, Scientific, . Grantsville, Md. 

Lewis Ulrich, " . Tiffin, Ohio. 



(104) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 105 

ADDRESS. 

Young Gentlemen: As you have finished the 
prescribed course of study laid down in Heidelberg 
College, and stood an approved examination, I am 
authorized by the Board of Trustees, who have con- 
ferred upon you the degrees to which you are en- 
titled, to hand over to you these diplomas as testi- 
monials of the honor conferred upon you in view of 
your scholarship and uniformly good deportment. 
The occasion is one of deep interest to you and us 
all, marking, as it does, an important epoch in the 
history of your lives. You have also, no doubt, 
anxiously looked forward to it during your course 
of study, and often wished the time of your gradu- 
ation were here. It has cost you much hard study 
and close application to reach the point you have 
now attained. These, however, are now forgotten 
in the delight and gratification of the present hour, 
which is as joyous to the student, after years of pa- 
tient study, as the green oasis of the desert is to the 
weary traveler. 

The graduation of a student in the regular course 
of study, laid down in our institutions of learning, is 
an honor which any young gentleman or lady may 
well covet. It is no empty form or unmeaning cere- 
mony, but is justly regarded as an appropriate re. 
ward for diligence and well-earned merit. As such, 
it is conferred upon you by your Alma Mater, in the 
hope that, whilst it will be to you an abiding testi- 
monial of the proficiency you have attained in the 
arts and sciences, it will also be an incentive for re- 
newed efforts and continuous application to study, so 



106 THE HISTORY OF 

that you may drink still deeper from the fountain of 
knowledge. 

You should not suppose, as you have now- 
reached the period of your graduation, that your 
education is complete, and that you have no need 
to prosecute your studies any further. This is a sad 
mistake which many young persons make, the result 
of which is they never attain to any great distinc- 
tion in life. The fact is, you have now only laid 
the foundation upon which you are to build. You 
have merely been introduced into the grand temple 
of truth; and, although you have gathered some 
precious gems and flowers, as you have been pursu- 
ing your studies, these are nothing in comparison 
with the great ocean of truth, that stretches out 
before you, inviting your investigation and research. 
This it is your privilege to explore, and, by so 
doing, you will add to your happiness and useful- 
ness in life; and, whatever may be the extent of 
your investigations, you will find that there are 
always fields still beyond, which you have not trav- 
ersed where there are treasures as rich as any you 
have acquired. 

God has wisely ordered that whatever good we 
may enjoy in this world is the fruit of our own 
labor; neither riches, honor, fame, nor anything 
else which we may acquire, comes spontaneously. 
You have, no doubt, found, during the few years 
you have been connected with Heidelberg College, 
that no one, not even the professors, could impart 
knowledge to you, unless you received and made it 
your own by an effort of your own mind. Knowl- 
edge is not anything which can be handled and 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. IO/ 

transferred from one to another, as we do material 
objects. All the teacher can hope to do is to stir 
up the latent energies of the mind, and direct and 
help the pupil to comprehend and grasp the subjects 
presented. This we have tried to do, to the best 
of our ability, whilst you have been under our care 
and instruction ; and if we have succeeded in arous- 
ing and quickening your natural thirst and desire for 
knowledge, to such an extent, as to create in you a 
fondness for study, and a love of truth as something 
more to be desired than any earthly good, we have 
accomplished our work, and shall feel amply repaid 
for all we have done. 

It has been said that there are two educations 
for each individual. The first is, that of the family 
and school, which we receive from others who guide 
and direct our first efforts, and teach us the rules 
and principles that underlie all we do. This you 
have now in a great measure completed. The other, 
and more important education, is that which a man 
performs for himself, and is the plastic power which 
takes up, shapes, and individualizes all that has 
been communicated. This is the education which 
we have been endeavoring to fit and prepare you 
for, whilst under our instruction; and if we have 
succeeded in so disciplining your minds as to fit 
you to take the helm in your own hands, and hence- 
forth steer your own course with safety, we have 
done our work well. It is for you, therefore, to 
utilize and perfect what has been begun. The 
progress you have thus far made is the best pledge 
and guarantee you can desire of what you can do, 
if you will but concentrate your energies and apply 



108 THE HISTORY OF 

yourselves to what is before you. What others have 
done, you can make an honest effort to do ; and 
if you do not succeed to the full extent of your de- 
sire, you will not live in vain. As, in the natural 
world, the man who tills his soil is always sure of 
his bread, so, in the intellectual and moral world, 
those who improve and cultivate ,their minds and 
hearts enjoy the feast of the soul with the pleasure 
that flows from a life of well-doing. 

Much depends on yourselves, whether your life 
will be a success or a failure. It is very much in 
the broad field and battle of life, as it is in the 
narrow precincts of a College. Many enter and go 
through the prescribed course of study and gradu- 
ate with different grades of scholarship and honor. 
Nor is it an unusual thing for those who have only 
an ordinary amount of talent to surpass and leave 
those behind, who are blessed with superior powers 
of mind. As one man, by careful study and obser- 
vation will out of the same brick and mortar build 
a neat and well-proportioned edifice with every com- 
fort and convenience, whilst his more thoughtless 
and indolent neighbor builds another, of the same 
material, unseemly and unattractive, so we often 
find young men growing up in the same neighbor- 
hood, with the same opportunities and environments, 
building up for themselves entirely different charac- 
ters, some to honor and some to dishonor. Hence, 
much will depend on the use and direction you give 
to the opportunities and gifts which a kind Provi- 
dence has conferred upon you. These will not shape 
and direct themselves. Even genius itself, if allowed 
to lie dormant, will be of little avail to its possessor. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. IO9 

Energy and perseverance go far in making up for 
any natural deficiency that may exist, and seldom 
fail of success in the end. And if you would suc- 
ceed in your endeavors, you can only do it by 
earnest labor and persevering effort. Furtune sel- 
dom, if ever, smiles on the slothful. The man 
who is always seeing and fearing a lion in the way, 
or complaining that he has not the talents of others, 
or that his opportunities are not what they should 
be, will never gain the prize; for, whilst he sits 
lamenting and repining over what he conceives to 
be his misfortunes, others, more resolute and cour- 
ageous, pass by him in the race, overcome what 
difficulties lie in the way, and carry off the palm. 
And this they do, not so much by virtue of special 
natural gifts, as by the right use of what they have ; 
for unto him who has shall be given more abund- 
antly. 

And now, by way of conclusion, we would have 
you carry with you our best wishes and prayers 
for your future success in life; and, if we have at 
any time failed in the full discharge of our duty, do 
not look upon our imperfections with a critic's eye, 
but believe that our intentions have been uniformly 
good, and that our constant desire has been to ad- 
vance you in what is truly good and noble. Fight 
the good fight of faith, and lay hold upon eternal 
life whereunto you are called. Let no one take 
from you your crown of life, but continue in well- 
doing unto the end, and the God of peace shall be 
with you, and, when the battle is fought, give you a 
grown of glory that shall never fade away. 



BACCALAUREATE ADDRESS 



TO THE 



Class of 1868. 



Names of Class. 



John C. Good, Classical, . Tiffin, Ohio. 

E. Herbruck, Classical, . Canton, Ohio. 

C. Hornung, Classical,. . New Bavaria, Ohio. 

G. W. Houck, Scientific, . Canaan, Ohio. 

S. N. L. Kessler, Scientific, Allentown, Penn. 

C. W. Williams, Scientific, Chambersburg, Ohio. 

Elvira S. Bilkarz, Scientific, Tiffin, Ohio. 

Ione E. O'Connor, Scientific, Tiffin, Ohio. 

Rosa Ruhl, Scientific, . . Defiance, Ohio. 



(IIO) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. Ill 



ADDRESS. 



Ladies and Gentlemen: — The duty assigned me 
this evening by the Board of Trustees of Heidelberg 
College of conferring on you the degrees awarded 
you is both pleasant and sad. It is pleasant in that 
we see your hopes and aspirations realized. You 
have labored hard and patiently to obtain the honor 
of graduation. It is always pleasant to see any work 
on which we have been bent finished. This your joy 
is now fulfilled, and we rejoice with you in having 
gained the desire of your heart. 

The duty I am called to perform is also sad, as the 
ties which we have formed and the pleasant relations 
which have bound us together as teachers and stu^ 
dents are now to be severed, you to go out into the 
busy world and form new associations, whilst we 
remain at our post, awaiting the arrival of others to 
take your places. The severing of such ties is always 
sad, as we know not what the future may reveal, and 
whether we shall ever meet again. To be unmoved 
and unaffected under circumstances like these is to 
betray a species of stoicism which must do violence 
to our nature. Constituted as we are, it is natural for 
us to feel loath to part from those whom we learned 
to know and esteem. Hence the duty we now per- 
form is painful, notwithstanding the pleasure we have 
in the honors you are about to receive. 

The occasion calls for some remarks, which you 
may carry with you as you leave us to enter the dif- 
ferent spheres to which you have been looking for- 
ward. But what to say is not so easy to determine, 
as there are many things which suggest themselves at 



112 THE HISTORY OF 

a time like this. After having had you under our 
instruction for several years, during which time we 
have had occasion to speak upon a great variety of 
topics, it is not presumable that we can add anything 
new on the present occasion. All we can hope to do 
is to refresh and stir up your minds by way of re- 
membrance. 

We would, first of all, have you carry with you 
the counsels and lessons we have endeavored to im- 
press upon your minds whilst you have gone in and 
out among us. These may, at times, have seemed to 
possess little importance ; but life, you know, is made 
up to a great extent of little things, which have more 
to do in the formation of character than those we are 
wont to call great : 

Think naught a trifle, though it small appear; 
Small sands make the mountain, moments the year, 
And trifles life. 

The years you have spent under our instruction 
have left their impress upon you. You can never 
obliterate the impressions made whilst connected with 
the College, even though you should attempt to do so. 
They are now a part of your being, and can never 
be effaced. Nor would we have you forget them, 
believing, as we do, that they have had a refining and 
elevating influence in the formation of your char- 
acter. Whatever, therefore, may be your future call- 
ing, and wherever your lot may be cast, let your 
minds often revert to the years you have spent under 
our instruction, and endeavor to profit by what you 
have seen and heard from us. 

Our desire, and, I may add, our anticipations are 
that you will act well your part in life. You have 
been endowed with powers by the beneficent Creator, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 113 

which, if rightly improved, may accomplish much for 
God and humanity. You have the examples of many 
who have gone before you, who started upon their 
career as you now do, with no better natural gifts, or 
mental training than you possess, who have em- 
balmed their memories in the recollection of man- 
kind, and are regarded as benefactors of the race. 
This they did by singleness of purpose and concen- 
tration of effort. The man who attempts everything 
will in all probability accomplish very little in the end, 
and be superficial in all he does. There are few, 
if any, universal geniuses, if we may give credence 
to what Pope says in the following couplet: 

One science only will one genius fit, 
So wide is art, so narrow human wit. 

If you would, therefore, be a successful minister, 
lawyer, physician, farmer, artist, or anything else, 
have one grand aim before you, and bend your ener 
gies to it with the determination to succeed if it be 
possible. There is an almost omnipotent power in a 
resolute will, which yields only to what is beyond the 
power of man. Most of the failures that occur in 
life are the result of timidity, irresolution, and vacil- 
lation, whereas those who determine to succeed have 
most generally gained their point. There was a great 
deal in the resolution of the youthful Thucydides, who, 
on hearing Herodotus recite his history at the Olym- 
pic Games, said: "f too will be a historian." He 
meant what he said, and gave himself to the work 
with untiring devotion, and became, as you know, 
a greater historian than his distinguished prototype. 

Let the example here adduced incite you to earnest, 
manly efforts, in the struggle before you. And if you 



114 THE HISTORY OF 

do not succeed at once, do not abandon your pur- 
pose and give up in despair, as if all hope had gone. 
It is always a sign of true greatness when any one 
holds on in the midst of discouragements, with the 
determination of overcoming whatever difficulties lie 
in the way of success. Impediments in this way be- 
come stepping-stones to the courageous. It is this 
that makes a man a hero in the battle of life, and is 
almost certain to gain the prize in the end. You have 
had many illustrations of this during the course of 
your study. Lessons which at first seemed hard, and 
problems inexplicable, have more than once been 
mastered and solved by the dint of hard study and 
persevering effort. Carry with you, therefore, a res- 
olute will that yields only when further effort would 
be madness and folly, remembering that, 

"Perseverance is a Roman virtue, 
That wins each godlike act, and plucks success 
Even from the spear-proof crest of rugged danger." 

But important as is a resolute will and fixed deter- 
mination that does not soon give up in despair, and 
much as may be said in commendation of these qual- 
ities, they are, after all, not the only requisites to 
success. For the battle is not always to the strong 
nor the race to the swift. Mere physical force and 
dogged perseverance, although not to be despised, 
are not of themselves a sure guarantee of success. 
Wisdom and prudence are just as necessary to guide 
and direct the ship, when the storm is raging, as it is 
to have muscle and nerve to withstand the fury of the 
waves. Both are necessary to success. Many per- 
sons- no doubt fail in the object of their pursuit by 
the reckless and haphazard way in which they at- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 15 

tempt things. They have no wise discrimination, 
and so waste their strength by ill-timed efforts. Would 
you, therefore, avoid the wrecks and failures of many 
who have gone before you, and live to a good pur- 
pose, be earnest, be cautious, be wise and persever- 
ing, remembering that, although 

"You have no wings and can not soar; 
Yet you have feet to scale and climb, 
By slow degrees by more and more 
The cloudy summits of our time. 

"The mighty "pyramids of stone, 

That wedge-like cleave the desert air, 
When nearer seen and better known, 
Are but gigantic nights of stairs. 

"The distant mountains that uprear 

Their frowning foreheads to the skies, 
Are crossed by pathways that appear 
As we to higher levels rise. 

"The heights by great men reached and kept 
Were not attained by sudden flights; 
But they, while their companions slept, 
Were toiling upward in the night. 

"Standing on what too long you bore 

With shoulders bent and downcast eyes, 
You may discern, unseen, before 
A path to higher destinies. 



"Nor deem the irrevocable past 
As wholly wasted, wholly vain, 
If rising on its wreck at last 

To something nobler you attain." 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Class of 1869. 



Names of Class. 



Alfred Houtz, Classical, 
H. Shumaker, Classical, 
L. J. Cramer, Scientific, . 
Frank Dildine, Scientific, 
E. P. Kellog, Scientific, 
G. B. Keppel, Scientific, 
Jasher Pillars, Scientific, 
W. A. Strong, Scientific, 
Ella L. Gibson, Scientific, 
Laura O. Groff, Scientific, 



Milton, Penn. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Nevada, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 



(116) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. IXJ 

SERMON. 

" Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art 
the guide of my youth?" Jeremiah iii*. 4. 

Nothing can exhibit the benevolent and fatherly- 
character of God more beautifully than his conduct 
toward his people, the Jews. Having adopted them 
as his own heritage, his dealings toward them were 
those of love and mercy. He graciously provided 
for all their wants, fed them in the wilderness with 
manna from heaven, protected and defended them 
from all the assaults of their enemies, went before 
them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of 
fire by night, and at last brought them safely, ac- 
cording to his own promise, to the land of Canaan, 
a land flowing with milk and honey. And yet, not- 
withstanding all his tender compassion toward them, 
they proved themselves to be a rebellious and un- 
grateful people. They soon forgot the loving kind- 
ness of God, and became estranged from him, and 
went after other gods, thereby bringing the greatest 
distress and calamity upon themselves. Instead, 
however, of deserting them, and giving them over 
to their own doings, God pitied them in their es- 
trangement, and entreated them, in all the affection 
of a Father, to leave their perverse ways and con- 
duct, and return again unto him, saying, "Wilt 
thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, 
thou are the guide of my youth?" 

Leaving the peculiar circumstances under which 
the words of the text were originally uttered out 
of view, and considering them as to their spirit 
and import, they furnish us with a number of ap- 



Il8 THE HISTORY OF 

propriate reflections on the present occasion, which 
is one of special interest to you, who are soon to 
leave these classic halls and enter upon new and 
untried paths. 

Calling to mind the pleasant relation that has ex- 
isted between us for several years past, as teachers 
and students — a relation that has become strength- 
ened and made sacred by your uniform respect and 
Christian deportment — it is but natural that we 
should now, as this relation is soon to be dissolved, 
have an anxious solicitude that your future career 
and success in life may be such as to conduce to 
your own happiness, and the best interest of the 
community at large. Whilst under our care and 
instruction, we have endeavored to assist and direct 
you in the proper and healthful development of the 
noble powers with which God has endowed you, 
and thus to fit you, in some measure, at least, for 
the duties and responsibilities of life. What has 
thus far been done, however, has, to a great extent, 
been preparatory to your future career. You have 
been merely getting ready and arming yourselves for 
the struggles and conflicts of life; or, to express it 
in other words, you have been laying the foundation 
upon which you are hereafter to build, so that it 
becomes you, as you now pass from under our in- 
struction, to put the many lessons you have received 
into practice, that you may be an honor to your 
Alma Mater, and a blessing to the world. 

That all this may be realized, it is necessary that 
you should have some one to guide and direct your 
steps in life; for, such is the frailty and impotence 
of human nature, in its best estate, that it is not in 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 1 9 

man to order his steps. If left to yourselves, you 
will be sure to make sad mistakes and failures. The 
history of the past is full of instances of this kind. 
It is, indeed, sad to see the wasted energies and 
wrecks of those who have vainly attempted to guide 
their ships through the storms and shoals of life by 
their own strength and wisdom. Especially are there 
dangers and perils attending the period of youth 
when but little is known, comparatively, of the deceit- 
fulness of the world and the corruption of the human 
heart. Many a youth, for the want of a good and 
faithful guide and counselor, has squandered for- 
tunes, and made shipwreck of the brightest hopes 
and prospects that have loomed up before him. 

Whilst connected with the College, you have had 
many safe-guards and restraints thrown around you, 
which have been of great advantage to you, even 
though you may not now be able to see them in 
their true light; but, when once thrown upon your 
own resources, and you are expected to meet the 
many emergencies of life, as they occur from day to 
day, with no one at your side to whom you can look 
for counsel, you will often feel the need of a friend 
and guide in the new and untried circumstances in 
which you will be placed. Such a guide, we rejoice 
to say, there is, whose counsels every one may se- 
cure, if he will but seek them in the right way; a 
guide such as no one can find in a father, or mother, 
or teacher, or philosopher, or any of the wise men 
of the world; a guide possessing all wisdom, knowl- 
edge, and love, and therefore willing and able to 
direct in any and every time of need; a guide true 
and faithful, constant and untiring, one that will 



120 THE HISTORY OF 

never leave nor forsake those who place themselves 
under his care and protection. This guide is none 
other than He who presented himself to the Jewish 
nation in the text, at a time when their condition 
was such as to need his presence and direction, and 
plead with them in the language of love and solici- 
tude, saying, "Wilt thou not from this time cry 
unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my 
youth ?" 

To this guide and benefactor we now commend you 
as you pass from under our instruction to enter the 
arena of life, where you are expected to do your 
part in helping forward every enterprise connected 
with the glory of God and the well-being of your 
fellow-men. And if you secure and follow his guid- 
ance, your life can not but be a success. You 
may, indeed, as those who have gone before you, 
have many seasons of perplexity and doubt; times 
may, and in all probability will occur when you will 
have difficulty to decide what course to pursue in 
regard to many things in the ever-changing scenes of 
life; but, if you remain true to God, and look to him 
for guidance, he will always make the path of duty 
plain before you, and give you strength and grace 
sufficient for your day. 

To encourage you, from this time forth, to place 
yourselves more fully under the guidance of this best 
of friends and counselors, I shall now briefly present 
some reasons which ought to constrain you to respond 
cheerfully and heartily to the appeal which God, your 
Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer, addresses to you 
in the words of the text, and say, ' * My Father, thou 
art the guide of my youth." 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 121 

The first reason which I shall present is that which 
arises from a consideration of the solemn importance 
of life. Of all the gifts we possess, none is of greater 
value than life; for all that a man hath will he give for 
his life. Without this nothing can, indeed, be of 
importance to us ; for what would all the beauties of 
nature and art, exquisite and delicate as they are; 
or what would anything be to us in the vast universe 
of God, did we not possess life to enjoy and appreciate 
it ? The flowers and plants might bloom in all their 
beauty and shed their sweet fragrance ; the fowls of 
the air might warble their notes; the fields, and 
meadows, and plains might be dressed, as they now 
are, in living green ; the trees of the forest might be 
clothed with their foliage ; the sun might shine, the 
moon emit her mellow light, and the stars adorn and 
beautify the heavens ; but what would these, or any- 
thing, be to us, did we not live to see, to hear, to 
touch, to taste, to handle, and to enjoy them ? Too 
much value can not be placed upon the precious boon 
of life. It is the gift of our kind and beneficent 
Father in heaven ; and none but He could have 
bestowed a gift of such priceless value. 

There is no such thing as estimating the conse- 
quences that may result from the life of a being 
constituted as we are. What would this world be 
were it not for the presence of man, who has been 
placed over it, as its head and ruler, to make every- 
thing contribute to the glory of Him who made and 
fashioned it according to His own will? Nor can any 
one review the history of the past, and see the grand 
achievements and deeds of those who have gone 
before us, and how they have contributed in ten 



122 THE HISTORY OF 

thousand ways to the advancement and comfort of 
the human family, without being impressed with the 
noble and godlike powers with which the Almighty 
has endowed us. Hence, to live and be permitted to 
take a part in the great drama of life, constituted as 
we are, is a blessing and privilege which no one can 
fully estimate. This truth I desire, my young friends, 
to impress upon you as you pass from under our care 
and instruction into the different spheres in which 
God, in his providence, may call you. Its influence 
can not be otherwise than a powerful incentive for 
you to set your mark high, and to make the most of 
life that you possibly can. Carry with you, there- 
fore, as you go out into the world the conviction that 
life is real, life is earnest, and that enjoying it as you 
do, as a precious gift of God, you may also be heroes 
in the world's strife, and contribute in a large degree 
to the improvement of society. To this end, be 
diligent and persevering in your calling; never give 
way, for a moment, to despondency or fear, knowing 
that the way to eminence and success in life can be 
attained only by unremitting toil and effort. As the 
traveler gains the summit of the hill only by patiently 
climbing its rugged steep, so the goal of life is 
reached by constant labor and perseverance in well- 
doing. Would you, then, make the most of life, 
carry with you a conviction of its solemn importance ; 
acquit yourselves heroically in whatever you engage ; 
persevere in well-doing; and if success does not at 
once crown your efforts, toil on, and hope for the 
best. Let the lives of those who have gone before 
you remind you that you, too, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 123 

"Can make your lives sublime, 

And, departing, leave behind you 
Footprints on the sands of time; 

Footprints that, perhaps, another, 
Sailing o'er life's solemn main — 

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, 
Seeing, shall take heart again. 

Then be up and doing, 
With a heart for any fate, 

Still achieving, still pursuing, 
Learn to labor and to wait." 

Again, as another inducement to m&ke God the 
guide of your youth, I would remind you- that, 
although life is fraught with the greatest importance, 
it is at the same time short and transient. Man, 
although fearfully and wonderfully made, and pos- 
sessed of powers and capabilities to which it is hard 
to set limits, is nevertheless exceedingly frail. Born 
of a sinful and mortal race, he soon reaches the 
highest point of human existence, and goes the way 
of all flesh. "The days of our years are threescore 
years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be 
fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; 
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." The fathers, 
where are they? They have, all in their turn, passed 
that bourn from whence no traveler ever returns ; and 
we, too, whatever may be our present prospects for 
length of days, must sooner or later join the innu- 
merable company that has already passed the 
Jordan of death; for it is appointed unto all men 
once to die. It is, indeed, sad to look back over the 
past, and see what a waste there has been in this 
respect. One generation has been succeeded by 
another, like waves on the ocean. The men of 
Nineveh and Babylon, of Tyre and Sidon, of Sparta 
and Athens, have long since disappeared from the 
stage of action, and their bodies been committed to 



124 THE HISTORY OF 

the grave. There has been no exemption in this war 
which death has been waging against the human race. 
The high and the low, the rich and the poor, the 
king and the peasant; the philosopher, the orator, 
the sage, the patriarch, the prophet, are all here on 
a perfect level. The world is indeed a vast burial- 
ground, containing within its bosom the bodies of 
the millions who have peopled it since it was spoken 
into being by the word of the Lord. No amount of 
learning or research, no depth of philosophy or meta- 
physics, no acuteness of reasoning or logical skill, no 
power of oratory or tender entreaty, no position of 
usefulness or eminence, can ward off the shafts of the 
destroyer. Hence, all of us, like our fathers before 
us, must sooner or later vacate the places we now 
occupy, and leave them to those who come after us. 
For life, although real, and a boon of priceless value, 
is nevertheless transient and fading, as the flowers of 
the field and the leaves of the forest. Looking out 
upon nature, dressed as it now is in its most beautiful 
garments, we can hardly realize the fact that in a few 
months it will be stripped of all its loveliness and 
verdure by the frosts and cold blasts of autumn and 
winter. Yet so it is ; the seasons come and go, and 
nature changes with them. So it is with man. He 
enters upon the stage of action ; lives and moves in 
the world around him ; takes part in its struggles and 
conflicts for a season, and then not unfrequently, 
when the brightest prospects of usefulness loom up 
before him, he sickens and dies, and is gathered with 
his fathers. Well has it been said : 

"Life is a dream, man is a flower; 
How soon, alas! how soon he dies." 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 125 

Such being the short and fleeting character of life, 
that its course is soon run, you may see the great 
importance of having, as you enter upon its busy 
pursuits, the guidance and direction of God, that 
your time may be wisely and well improved. The 
work you have to perform is too great and solemn 
to allow of failures and experiments. The interest 
involved in life is too important to admit of its pre- 
cious moments being squandered in vain and profit- 
less adventures. You need, therefore, a guide, that 
the days and weeks and years you may spend may 
all, as they come and go, be devoted to the great 
object for which your Maker gave you here a place, 
so that when your race is run, and you have reached 
the end of life, you may be able to say, in the review 
of the past, "I have fought a good fight, I have 
finished my course, I have kept the faith; hence- 
forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous- 
ness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give 
me at that day." 

Intimately connected with what I have just said, 
and at the same time showing the great need you all 
have of a guide and friend like God, is the vast im- 
portance connected with success in life. Every one 
feels, when he has once made choice of a profession 
and enters upon it, that he ought to use every lawful 
means and precaution in order that he may accom- 
plish the object that he has in view. If this be 
attended with difficulties and dangers, he seeks the 
counsel and advice of those who have gone before 
him, and have attained experience that may be of 
service to him. This is ordinarily regarded the course 
of wisdom and prudence. There is also, as we all 



126 , THE HISTORY OF 

know, a very close and intimate connection between 
success in life and the means that are necessary for 
its attainment. The reason why so many fail in 
reaching the true end of their being is either because 
they do not make the proper effort, or because they 
waste their strength in endeavoring to realize the 
Utopian theories and visionary schemes of their own 
disordered minds. Were half the strength, which 
many put forth in their misguided zeal to reach cer- 
tain objects wisely directed, how much greater and 
more blessed would be the result! God has estab- 
lished certain principles and laws in his government 
which are uniform in their operation and effects. 
Were this not the case everything would be full of 
doubt and uncertainty. No one could tell when he 
would enter upon any course of action, whether he 
would have any reason to hope for success or not, 
even though he might put forth his best endeavors 
to gain the object of his desires. To suppose that 
such uncertainty would attach itself to the conduct 
of men would be to reflect on the wisdom and good- 
ness of the beneficent Creator. If we look around 
us we see, that ordinarily the hand of the diligent 
maketh rich, and that those who give their constant 
and undivided attention to the object of their pursuit 
seldom fail in the end. They may not, indeed, suc- 
ceed at once, and may, at times, be disposed to give 
up in despair; but where there is perseverance, united 
with energy, the result is generally encouraging. 
Especially is this the case in this land of freedom, 
where there is no royal road to distinction and em- 
inence; but where the way is equally open to all, 
whatever the circumstances of their birth or posi- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 127 

tion in society. It is indeed a blessed thing to be 
born where there are so many facilities offering them- 
selves to those who are about setting out in the 
world to make their lives a grand success, not only 
as it respects wealth, fame, honor, or position, but 
also as it respects the true end and purpose of life. 
In this aspect of the case, how much is there, my 
young friends, to encourage you, as you are about 
entering the arena of life, after having spent years 
in study and preparation, to hope for success in the 
various positions you may be called to fill! With 
the blessing and guidance of God, which you ought 
to seek above everything else, there is every reason 
for you to anticipate a bright and prosperous future, 
if you will but act worthy of yourselves, and put 
forth the energy required at your hands. The results 
of your lives will also be momentous, both as it 
respects yourselves and those around you; for it is 
not to be supposed that you can pass through life, 
even though your position should be a very humble 
one, without leaving your impress behind you. Every 
word you may speak, as well as every action you 
may perform, will have a molding influence upon 
you, and those with whom you associate. If you 
conform your lives to the teachings of God's word, 
adhering strictly to the principles of temperance and 
sobriety, of honesty and uprightness, and, above all, 
have the fear of the Lord before your eyes, you can 
not but succeed in accomplishing the end of your 
existence. And even though you may not attain to 
any elevated position in society, nor have your names 
enrolled upon the scroll of fame, nor wafted on the 
popular breeze, yet you will live to honor God, 



128 THE HISTORY OF 

and advance your present and eternal well-being. 
Whereas, if you depart from the principles of virtue 
and sobriety, and walk in the sight of your eyes and 
after the desires of your hearts, your life will be 
a miserable failure, as it respects the true end and 
purpose of your being, and you will in the end regret 
your folly and infatuation. Hence I would exhort 
you, as you enter upon the conflict of life, to remem- 
ber the things you have been taught, and to continue 
and advance in them until you attain the full measure 
of manhood : ' ' For if ye do these things ye shall 
never fail; for so an entrance shall be ministered 
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of 
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 

But not to detain you to an improper length, I 
would merely remark, once more, that you ought 
from this time cry unto God, "My Father, thou art 
the guideof my youth," in view of the many dangers 
and perils that beset you. Youth, whilst it is the 
most important period of life, is at the same time 
exposed to peculiar temptations and snares, arising 
from the corruption and depravity of the human 
heart, together with the want of experience and 
knowledge of the various allurements of the world. 
Whilst there is much in the state and posture of so- 
ciety, as at present constituted, calculated to cherish 
and foster in the young the principles of virtue and 
piety, there is also very much of an opposite nature. 
Not to see and acknowledge this is to be ignorant of 
the devices of Satan, and of the corrupting influences 
of wicked and ungodly men. It is indeed sad to look 
around us and see how much there is in the most 
enlightened -and favored communities calculated to 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 29 

decoy and deceive the young and inexperienced, and 
lead them from the path of virtue and rectitude, 
Errors of the most specious and deceptious character 
are published and advocated on all sides. Yea, even 
infidelity itself, not unfrequently in its worst form, 
lifts up its head with bold effrontery and dares to cast 
reproach and opprobrium upon the religion of Christ. 
Schemes of humanitarianism and of progress, as they 
are called, are brought forward to displace the blessed 
and time-honored doctrines of the Cross. The land is 
flooded with a species of literature of the most flimsy 
and trashy character, that finds its way into every 
avenue and department of life. Vice, which when 
beheld in its true color, "is a monster of such hid- 
eous mien, that to be hated needs but to be seen," 
is decked in the most gaudy and imposing forms, so 
as to allure and enchant the unsuspecting; whilst the 
haunts of pleasure, profligacy and sensuality are sur- 
rounded with every imaginable attraction to captivate 
the young and inexperienced. There is not a single 
step we take where these evil influences do not meet 
us. Their ensigns are hung out along every high- 
way and at every corner of life, whilst the charmer 
sits and entreats those who pass by to turn in and 
taste of her delicacies and viands. That many of the 
young are allured, and ensnared by these devices and 
temptations of the Evil One is patent to all that will 
but look around them, and see what is transpiring 
from day to day. To tell of all the blasted prospects, 
ruined fortunes and characters of many of our bright- 
est youths, and of the broken hearts and anguish of 
parents over the profligacy and degeneracy of their 
children, would require more time than our present 



I3O THE HISTORY OF 

limits will admit of. We need not go beyond our 
own favored community to find examples enough to 
show how dangerous and much to be dreaded are 
the temptations and evil influences that are at work 
around us. Living as you do, my young friends, in 
a world where there is so much error and sin, where 
there are so many temptations and dangers, you must 
see the great importance of having a guide to counsel 
and direct you amid all these perils and snares; for if 
left to yourself you will soon find that all your own 
wisdom and strength will avail you nothing when 
called to contend against influences like those by 
which you are beset. Such a friend and guide you 
may find in God, who stands before you to-day, as 
you are about to take an advance step in the journey 
of life, and entreats you in all the solicitude of a lov- 
ing Father to look to him and say, in the language 
of reciprocal affection, "My Father, thou art the 
guide of my youth." 

Such a guide you will need, notwithstanding all the 
knowledge and experience you. may have acquired in 
these classic halls. The years you have spent here 
have doubtless been of great importance to you. 
You have been introduced into the temple of science, 
and have learned a great deal as you have passed 
from one department to another in its vast labyrinth. 
And as you now look back over your course, you can 
rejoice in the flowers and gems you have gathered by 
the way. And yet, after all, how small a portion of 
the domain of truth you have explored? Like the 
great philosopher, Sir Isaac Newton, you have merely 
been amusing yourselves with the shells and pebbles 
that lie along the shore, whilst the great ocean yet 
lies before you to be fathomed and explored. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I3I 

New and untried scenes will open up before you. 
And as these occur from day to day you will soon 
learn how imperfect your knowledge is of the world, 
and of its various allurements and temptations. You 
will doubtless discover many mistakes and errors you 
might have avoided, if you would have had some 
friend by your side, who had passed over the way 
and given you the result of his experience. As the 
ship that is about to sail out upon the ocean needs 
a pilot to steer and direct its course, that it may not 
run against the rocks and shoals that might otherwise 
dash it to pieces, so do you need a guide as you enter 
the various spheres of usefulness which God may as- 
sign you in the solution of the difficult problem of 
• life. Do not, therefore, enter upon it in your own 
name and strength, but look up to God and say, in 
the consciousness of your own helplessness and de- 
pendence, "My Father, thou art the guide of my 
youth." 

With God for your friend and counselor, you have 
nothing to fear. And although the way may at times 
appear dark and dreary, you may always be hopeful 
and buoyant. As the child continues to follow as 
long as it has hold of the father's hand, so do you 
cleave to God, the best of all friends, and by so doing 
you will find that however long, or intricate the way 
may be, you will escape one danger and peril after 
another, until you will at last ride safely into the 
haven of eternal rest, there to wear a crown of glory, 
as those do who come off victorious in the great 
struggle of life; which, may God grant, is the earnest 
and united prayer of all your instructors. 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Class of 1870. 



Names of Class. 



J. F. Bunn, Classical, . Bellevue, Ohio. 

Chas. W. Good, Classical, . Tiffin, Ohio. 

Austin Henry, Classical, . West Alexandria, O. 

C. G. A. Hullhorst, Classical, Freeport, Illinois. 

J. C. Shoemaker, Classical, . Galion, Ohio. 

Hiram J. Bachtel, Scientific, McComb, Ohio. 

James D. Ely, Scientific, . Tiffin, Ohio. 
Walter W. Kellog, Scientific, Nevada, Ohio. 

Leora Flenner, Scientific, . Tiffin, Ohio. 

Mary E. Noble, Scientific, . Tiffin, Ohio. 



(132) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 133 

SERMON. 

"I have finished my course." 2 Tim. iv. 7. 

The review of the past, when we are conscious of 
having performed our duty to the best of our ability, 
is always pleasing and gratifying. The warrior, when 
he returns from the field of battle, covered with the 
marks and scars of the many conflicts in which he 
has been engaged, forgets, or recites with pleasure, 
the many perils and dangers through which he has 
passed in the consciousness, that he has done his part 
in delivering his country from the wrongs of an inso- 
lent foe. So the student, who has spent wearisome 
days and months in the prosecution of his studies, 
returns home at the end of the session, or year, to 
enjoy the warm embrace of loving friends and kin- 
dred, with a feeling of pride and satisfaction, when 
he knows that he has made the progress that was 
expected of him, and that he carries with him the 
good wishes and approval of his teachers. The fact 
is the review of life, in any of its various depart- 
ments, is always pleasant, when we have done our 
work well, whether it has been of a public or private 
nature. The poor man, as he sits in his humble cot- 
tage and sees his children fed and clothed by the 
labor of his hands, growing up under his care and 
protection to respectability in the world; the rich 
man, who relieves the wants and sufferings of the 
needy by his liberal benefactions ; the philanthropist, 
who goes from place to place, entering the hovels of 
the wretched and miserable that he may relieve their 
distresses and elevate them to true manhood; the 
p^triot^ who labors diligently and faithfully in the 



134 rHE HISTORY OF 

position assigned him for the good of his country, as 
well as the Christian, who devotes his best energies 
to the advancement of the cause and kingdom of 
Christ, all are pleased in the review of the past, as 
they have the sweet consciousness that they have 
acted well their part in the drama of life, and may, 
therefore, calculate on the reward that always follows 
well-doing. 

Keeping- this thought before us, we may under- 
stand why it was that Paul uttered with so -much joy 
and confidence the language of the text, as he was 
about to pass from time into eternity. Those ac- 
quainted with the history of his life know that it was 
one of the most thrilling and eventful character, and 
stands most intimately connected with the establish- 
ment of Christianity in the world. To recount all 
the labors and sufferings of his life would be to give 
a history of the Church as it existed in Rome, An- 
tioch, Corinth, Thessalonica, and other places, too 
numerous to mention. According to his own state- 
ment, he was more abundant in labor than any of the 
other apostles of the Lord, zealous and devoted as 
they were to their Master's cause. The fact is the 
life of Paul presents us with one of the grandest spec- 
tacles in the history of the world. For to see a man 
go forth as he did after his conversion to Christianity, 
with the moral heroism which he displayed; to see 
him devote his noblest energies to the spread of the 
faith he had once sought with Satanic malevolence 
to destroy; to see him ever bold and fearless, amid 
the threats and denunciations of his enemies, and 
continue year after year, with increased zeal, in the 
midst of hunger and thirst, reproaches and buffet- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 135 

ings, perils by sea and land, laboring with his own 
hands as necessity required; to see him watch with 
a jealous eye every door of usefulness that might 
open to him, and then enter in and preach Christ 
with a boldness and confidence that astonished all; 
to see him cheerfully make a sacrifice of all that the 
world calls great, and not even count his life dear, 
that he might finish his ministry with joy, and con- 
tinue in such a course amid opposition such as sel- 
dom falls to the lot of mortals, is an example that 
may well challenge our respect and admiration. And 
looking upon his life as we now do,' after the lapse of 
centuries, and seeing the far-reaching results it has 
produced, we need not wonder that this great and 
good man, when he reached the end of his race, and 
was about to resign the trust committed to him, 
should exclaim, with a satisfaction which only those 
who have done their duty can do, "I am now ready 
to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, 
I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for 
me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the 
righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not 
to me only, but unto all them also that love his 
appearing. ,, 

And if I, my young friends, members of the Class 
of 1870, can in the review of the life and labors of 
the Apostle, inspire you with the purpose, as you are 
about passing from under our watch and care, to make 
your lives sublime, as he did, the object of this, my 
last address, will be accomplished. There is indeed 
something grand in the thought of living to improve 
and elevate the race as Paul did. And if you, in the 



I36 THE HISTORY OF 

end, have the conviction, as you look over your lives, 
that you have, by your labors and example, helped 
forward the work of human progress and redemp- 
tion, in the spheres in which you have been placed, 
you, too, will have the sweet comfort that you have 
not lived in vain. 

There is much wherever you may cast your eye 
that is calculated to excite your sympathy and stir 
up every generous impulse of your nature, as the 
spirit of every good man is aroused when he beholds 
the degradation and misery around him. 

The world, although it has made great progress in 
everything tending to the comfort and convenience 
of life, has yet many sorrows, woes, and ills to be 
alleviated before the millennium will be ushered in. 
You need not go in search of them, for they are all 
around you. Young as you are, you have often 
heard the cry of distress, seen the scalding tear as 
it ran down the furrowed cheek, and witnessed the 
dreadful effects of sin as you have passed along the 
journey of life. These call for your sympathy, and 
ask for redress ; and if you can only relieve one ach- 
ing heart of its sorrow, lighten the burden of any 
weary traveler to the grave, speak a word of comfort 
to the disconsolate, or dry up a single tear, you will 
in so far deserve to be placed among the benefactors 
of the world, which must ever be regarded as one of 
the most enviable characters. 

The life of each individual, like that of the race, is 
divided in different epochs, each of which has an 
important bearing upon the rest. Such an epoch 
you are now about to complete, passing, as you do, 
from these classic halls to the stern and active duties 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 137 

of life. In many respects this period constitutes the 
most interesting part of life, as it must, in the nature 
of the case, have an important bearing upon all that 
follows. You may not now so regard it, but as years 
increase and multiply, you will revert to it with such 
pleasure and delight, as will leave no doubt upon 
your mind of the wonderful influence it has had in 
the formation of your characters. It is true the time 
you have spent in College has been short, having all 
been compressed within a few fleeting years ; so that, 
in looking back over it, it seems but as yesterday 
when you first made your appearance among us, 
and entered upon the College curriculum. But short 
as the time has been it has been fraught with an im- 
portance which no arithmetic can fully estimate, and 
will leave its impress upon your whole subsequent 
life. 

It has also been to you the period of preparation 
for the active duties and responsibilities of life 
which will soon confront you as they have never yet 
done. This preparation you need, in common with 
all others, as there is nothing to which you may turn 
your hand which does not require some forethought. 
All the knowledge and skill which you have thus far 
attained is the result of study and observation. You 
have had to learn to walk, to speak, to eat, to read, 
to write ; in short, whatever you have done you have 
had to learn in some way or other. Short as your 
life has been, and little experience as you have had, 
you have all learned this lesson : that knowledge does 
not come of itself, and that what you now know, or 
may be able to do, is an acquirement which you have 
made by your own individual effort. In the family 



I38 THE HISTORY OF 

you have learned the first and simplest lessons, which 
have prepared you for the public schools, where you 
have studied the rudimental elements of an educa- 
tion, which has fitted you for the higher culture and 
sterner discipline of the College, which, we trust, has 
so strengthened and developed your various powers, 
as to fit you to go out into the world with safety to 
do the work which God has assigned you. In this 
way you have been slowly preparing yourselves, by 
bodily exercise and mental discipline, for the great 
work and business of life. And although it may have 
somewhat delayed your entrance upon it, you have 
acted wisely in that you did not, as many do, rush 
with impetuous speed into the arena before you were 
ready for it, and then find out the sad mistake you 
had made when too late to remedy the evil. It is 
always well, where anything important is to be done, 
to make the most thorough preparation for it, so that 
when we enter upon it we may do it with ease and 
credit to all concerned. Having, therefore, patiently 
gone over the prescribed course of study for grad- 
uation, and thus finished your course of preparation 
in the College, we indulge the fond hope that you 
will do good service, and reflect honor upon your 
Alma Mater wherever you may be called to labor. 

But important as the period is which you are now 
about to complete, in view of the mental training and 
discipline which it affords, it has further added greatly 
to your store of knowledge, and introduced you into 
regions of thought altogether previously unexplored. 
The curriculum, as laid down in our colleges, em- 
braces a wide scope of study, requiring those who 
receive a diploma to spend four years in the classical 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 39 

and three in the scientific department, after having 
had a previous elementary training. In completing* 
this course, you have gone through the higher de- 
partments of mathematics, and have read in the 
original Greek and Latin a number of standard 
authors, which have brought you into contact with 
nations that once ruled the world, and with men of 
giant intellects, including the chief orators, poets, 
statesmen, and philosophers of antiquity. You have 
gone over the wide field of history, from the begin- 
ning down to the present time, and have observed 
the progress of our race in all its efforts and strug- 
gles to attain its final destiny. In the study of the 
natural sciences, you have gone through the different 
departments of nature, and have seen how wisely 
God has made and adapted everything to the com- 
fort and well-being of his creatures. In the study of 
rhetoric, you have learned how to construct and 
deliver a discourse with the greatest effect; whilst in 
logic you have been made acquainted with the laws 
of thought, and have seen how single cognitions are 
united into systems, and how these are to be ex- 
plained and understood according to these laws. In 
social science, you have learned what are the laws and 
means necessary to the attainment of national and 
individual wealth, and how the different branches of 
industry and the body-politic are united. In psychol- 
ogy, you have been made acquainted with the powers 
and capacities of the mind, the noblest part of our 
being, and have seen how it unfolds itself in the or- 
igin and growth of knowledge, to which no limits can 
be set. In Christian ethics, you have considered the 
nature of law and obligation in their relation to the 



I4O THE HISTORY OF 

idea of right, and have been taught the duties which 
you owe to yourselves, your fellow-men and God; 
whilst, in philosophy, viewed in its broadest sense, 
you have sought the ultimate ground of all things, 
and endeavored to find out the connection which the 
different parts of the universe sustain to the whole. 
In all these studies, which have introduced you into 
some of the most interesting departments of knowl- 
edge, you have been constantly directed, as you have 
passed from one to the other, to Him who is over 
and above all, and whose glory is to be sought as 
the chief and ultimate end of all we do. 

In a course of study so extensive and diversified 
as this, it is not possible for any one to go over it, 
even in a superficial way, without obtaining a great 
deal of knowledge, which must ever be a source of 
pleasure and profit. And if you will but compare 
your present attainments, standing, as you do, on 
the eve of graduation, with what you had when you 
entered these classic halls, it seems to me that you 
must now look back with great satisfaction upon the 
hours of patient thought, and hard study which you 
have here spent, and that if you have any regret, 
seeing how much there is yet to be learned, it is that 
your recitations did not smell more of the midnight 
lamp, as the eloquent and finished orations of Demos- 
thenes are said to have done. Nor is it probable that 
any service or labor, which you may ever hereafter 
perform, will be of more real benefit to you than the 
years of study you have here spent. It is true you 
may have thought at times, that your advance was 
slow, and that the knowledge you gained, little by 
little, was hard-earned ; but you should remember 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I4I 

that the ascent up the hill of science is slow, and 
that its summit can only be gained by patient and 
persevering efforts. But, when once reached, the 
enchanted and extended vision, that opens before the 
observer is a sufficient reward for all the labor and 
toil endured. As the man that ascends some lofty 
dome often stops and debates in his mind if he shall 
proceed any farther, rejoices greatly when he reaches 
its top, notwithstanding all the fatigue he has under- 
gone, so I doubt not that you all, in common, rejoice 
to-day that you have finished your course, and w 7 ill 
soon be crowned with its laurels. The notion enter- 
tained by some, that there is no need of a regular 
collegiate education in the case of those who pursue 
the common and ordinary avocations of life, and that 
our colleges are designed merely to prepare those 
who wish to enter the higher professions of theology, 
law and medicine, is one that should receive no 
countenance in this enlightened age. A thorough 
and liberal education should be sought by all, apart 
from any particular use to which it may be applied. 
God has endowed all, the poor as well as the rich, 
with great natural endowments, and it is, therefore, 
equally the duty of all to cultivate and develop these 
powers to the very greatest extent, irrespective of 
any gain which may accrue therefrom. Hence, all 
who have proper views on the subject, and have the 
good of their fellow-men at heart, should use the 
whole weight of their influence to bring the benefits 
of education, under its highest form, within the reach 
of all. 

Having now, my young friends, finished your 
course in College, you are about to enter upon a new 



142 THE HISTORY OF 

epoch, and it affords me pleasure, in performing this 
last duty, to bear testimony to your diligence and 
good deportment whilst under our care ; and I do but 
express the feelings of the entire Faculty when I say 
that you carry with you our best wishes and prayers 
for your future success. We have endeavored, on 
our part, to assist you in the development of your 
powers, and to encourage you to renewed "efforts in 
the prosecution of your studies, by strewing flowers, 
here and there, along your course, and by opening 
up to your view new fields of thought. Our work 
is now done, and it remains for you to perfect what 
has been so auspiciously begun. 

There is room and work for you in every depart- 
ment of life, notwithstanding the laurels that have 
been won, and the honors obtained, by those who 
have preceded you. As the world moves on, it 
would seem that there is a proportionate demand for 
labor and activity, so that there is much, if not more, 
encouragement for you to strive after the most ex- 
alted positions of usefulness and distinction as there 
was for those who are now at the head of affairs in 
the Church and State when they entered upon their 
career. And if you will but exert yourselves as they 
did, and press toward the mark that is before you 
with unwearied diligence, there is hardly a doubt 
of the success that will follow. Let your motto 
therefore be Progress — the Watchword of Eternity. 

Having finished one course, another begins. Life 
moves on without any interruption. If we stop, or 
sit down to rest, the wheels of time are all the while 
in motion. As the majestic river winds its way 
silently along the mountain side, and through the 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I43 

extended plain, until it reaches the great ocean, so 
it is with life. All moves along in perfect harmony 
like the wheels in a complicated machine, so that he 
alone accomplishes the true end and object of life, 
who wisely turns every moment to proper account, 
and does the work of each day at its appropriate 
time. Thus it was with the Apostle. Paul, to whom 
we have already referred, whose highest ambition 
was to fill the place assigned him in the world, and 
so fully did he accomplish his purpose, that he was 
enabled to say with joy at the end of his race, ' ' I have 
finished my course. " That you may be able to do the 
same, the following thoughts may be of importance 
to you : 

The first of which is, always keep in mind that you 
have individually a work to perform, a mission to fulfill. 
Could we fully understand the entire system of 
nature we would doubtless see, that every part and 
parcel of it has its appropriate place and function. 
God has made nothing in vain. The mountains and 
hills, the plains and valleys, the oceans and lakes, 
the rivers and springs, the sun and moon, the stars 
and comets, the groves and forests, the plants and 
flowers, the birds and fishes, the larger and smaller 
animals, in short everything that moves in the air, 
or on the surface of the earth, or in the great deep, 
has some special purpose to subserve, and stands in 
organic connection with the great system of which 
it forms a part. And if this be true in regard to the 
lower orders of creation, how much more so must it 
be the case with man, whom God constituted, in the 
beginning, the head and lord of this lower world, and 
created in his own likeness and image? 



144 THE HISTORY OF 

What the particular part is which you are required 
to perform in the great drama of life may not be 
very easy to determine, and it is doubtless wise that 
it is so. Did we see the whole future of our life loom 
up before us, in all its outlines, there would be, at 
least, something connected with it, that would have 
such a disheartening effect upon us that we would, 
ip a great measure, be unfitted for it. Hence, God 
has in mercy veiled the future from our vision, and 
commanded us to do with all our might to-day what 
our hands find to do, ~and watch the indications of 
his providence as to what he will have us do to- 
morrow, or next year. And it is a remarkable fact, 
confirmed by the experience of thousands, that 
wherever there is a disposition to labor, and to 
accomplish our mission in the world, that the path of 
duty always becomes plain as we proceed. You 
should not, therefore, worry or perplex yourselves 
as to where your lot will be cast, or what particular 
work you may have to do, but go forward under the 
conviction that you have something to do, and that 
God will direct your steps if you acknowledge him 
in your ways. It was thus that Paul acted in the 
checkered scenes of his life. When in Corinth, or 
Rome, or Antioch, he was not unduly concerned as 
to where he would next go and preach the gospel ; 
but went in and occupied every door of usefulness as 
it presented itself, wherever or whatever it was ; and 
by so doing he was enabled to accomplish a great 
work for Christ. So may it be said of each of you, 
when you reach the end of your race, that you have 
done your work, and that there is henceforth laid up 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 145 

for you in heaven a crown of righteousness which the 
Lord will give to you as the reward of your labor. 

Another thing of equal importance to success in 
life is that you set your mark high, and then make 
corresponding efforts to attain it. As a general rule, 
those who never aim high seldom get above the level 
of society. To accomplish much it is, therefore, of 
great account to have a mark before us, such as is 
worthy of our efforts and ambition. This, without 
doubt, had much to do in the formation of the 
character of those who have distinguished themselves 
in the different departments of life. The history of 
the past furnishes us with many illustrious examples 
of those who have arisen from the lowest to the 
highest positions in society by their perseverance and 
industry. Especially is this the case in our own land 
where there is no royal road to eminence, but where 
the way is open equally to all ; and where, perhaps, 
in the majority of cases, the race is to the poor. 
And were we to give the facts in the case, as has 
been done in a number of instances, it would be seen 
that the great majority of those who have in the past, 
and who do now occupy the highest positions in the 
Church and the State, are from the number of those 
who have graduated in our colleges. You have much, 
therefore, to excite you, as you now go out in the 
world, to noble efforts to make your lives a success 
in whatever department you may labor. By the 
training and discipline of mind, which you have ob- 
tained during the years of study you have spent in 
these halls, it is presumable that you have laid the 
foundation upon which you may build a name and 
character, which will last long after these walls crumble 

IO 



I46 THE HISTORY OF 

and fall to the ground. In order, however, that this 
may be the case, it is necessary that you apply 
yourselves with diligence and perseverance in what- 
ever you engage. And if you do not at once succeed 
in your calling, and meet with the success which you 
desire and hope for, do not abandon your post, and 
give up in despair, but lift your eye to the mark you 
have set before you, and labor on, determined by the 
power of your will and energy to overcome every 
difficulty that lies in the way of your advancement. 
There is, indeed, a kind of omnipotence in such a 
purpose before which everything must yield, and 
mountains of discouragement melt like snow under 
the scorching rays of the sun. I would, therefore, 
impress upon you, with solemn earnestness, the great 
importance of close application and diligence in what- 
ever you undertake, after having set a proper mark 
before you. Do not vacillate in your purpose, and 
run from one thing to another, or attempt more than 
is possible for mortals to perform. 

"Are you in earnest ? Seize this very moment 
What you can do, or dream you can, begin it. 
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. 
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated — 
Begin, and then the work will be completed." 

But not to extend our remarks, I would yet merely 
add, that if you would finish your course in life with 
joy, and attain the true end of your being, be honest, 
be upright, be virtuous, be manly. Always bear in 
mind that there can be no substitute for a good 
moral character. Never compromise the principles 
of truth and righteousness, even though you may- 
secure great gain by so doing. A pure conscience 
and unsullied reputation are worth more than all the 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I47 

wealth that may be amassed by robbery, lying, fraud, 
and peculation, although it may go under the specious 
name of decency. Carry with you the lessons you 
have been taught in the family and recitation room. 
Buy the truth and sell it not for sordid gain, or filthy 
lucre, nor even for a seat in the Presidential chair. 
Never violate your clear and settled convictions of 
right and duty, but cling to them with unwavering 
firmness, like good old John Bunyan, who was once 
heard to say, whilst incarcerated in a gloomy prison, 
"I have determined, the Almighty being my helper 
and shield, to suffer, if frail life might continue so 
long, even until the moss shall grow on my eye- 
brows, rather than violate my faith and principles." 

Cultivate a character that shall combine the virtues 
and excellencies of Christianity, and you will thereby 
obtain the highest type of manhood. Anything 
short of this, although it may for a time dazzle the 
eye and secure positions of worldly fame and dis- 
tinction, when these are given by political favoritism 
or trickery, is of little account, and will be soon 
forgotten, or thrown aside with the other rubbish of 
the world, according to the word of truth, which 
declares "that the righteous shall be had in ever- 
lasting remembrance, whilst the memory of the 
wicked shall perish. ,, Whatsoever things, therefore, 
are virtuous, true, and manly, think on them, and do 
them, and continue in them, and you will thereby 
finish your course with joy, as the Apostle did, and 
receive as the reward of your doing "a crown of 
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, 
will give you at that day." Amen. 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Class of 1871. 



Names of Class. 
Theodore J. Bacher, Classical, Tiffin, Ohio. 



O. A. S. Hursh, Classical, . 
Michael Loucks, Classical, 
Amos F. Zartman, Classical, 
Alvin S. Zerbe, Classical, 
H. C. Keppel, Scientific, 
J. V. Lerch, Scientific, 
William Stuff, Scientific, 



Ithaca, Ohio. 
Canal Winchester, O, 
Somerset, Ohio. 
Delaware, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Canton, Ohio. 
Belleville, Ohio. 



(148) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 149 

SERMON. 

"Be strong, and show thyself a man." I Kings ii. 2. 

The Bible is in every respect a most wonderful 
book, being adapted to all the various conditions of 
human society. Turning to it, therefore, as we should 
in all our needs for something adapted to the inter- 
esting occasion upon which we have met, my mind 
has been directed to the words of the text, contain- 
ing the charge which David gave to Solomon, his 
son, as he was about to ascend the throne and as- 
sume its honors and responsibilities. This to Sol- 
omon was a position new and untried, having its 
bright as well as its dark side, its hopes as well as its 
fears. Much depended upon the manner in which he 
would discharge the duties devolving upon him. If 
he would imitate the example of David, his father, 
and walk, as he did, in the commandments of the 
Lord his God, he might advance the nation to still 
greater glory and distinction; whereas, if he would 
turn aside from the right, and do that which was evil, 
shame and degradation would be the consequence. 
The aged king, therefore, feeling the solicitude and 
anxiety which it was natural he would for his people, 
as he was about to be gathered to his fathers, turned 
to Solomon, in the critical position in which he was, 
and exhorted him in the expressive and appropriate 
words, "Be strong, and show thyself a man." 

There is in these words a comprehensiveness and 
depth of meaning which it would be vain to attempt 
to exhaust in a single discourse. The fact is they 
are words just like what we might expect to find in a 
book like the Bible, dictated by infinite wisdom. 



150 THE HISTORY OF 

Had David exhorted Solomon to be faithful to the 
trust committed to his care, or to be impartial in the 
administration of justice, rewarding the good and 
punishing the wicked; had he advised him to be 
attentive to the duties of his office, to give due re- 
spect to the age and wisdom of his counselors, to be 
prudent, temperate, mild, vigilant, or anything of the 
kind, these would all have been counsels worthy of 
so great and good a man as was King David, and 
they would have been eminently adapted to Solomon, 
as he was about to ascend the throne; yet none of 
them would have had the same comprehensiveness as 
when he said to him, " Be strong, and show thyself 
a man." The more we think upon these words the 
the more suggestive and appropriate do they seem. 
Nor do I know of any words, my young friends, 
which more fully and better express the thoughts 
and counsels to which I wish to give utterance on 
this occasion than these. And if aught I may say 
will be calculated to impress and fix in your minds 
and hearts the truth which they contain, so that 
you will remember them as our last counsel and 
exhortation, I shall feel that I have accomplished 
an important work. 

It is altogether natural that we, who have had the 
charge and direction of your studies for the last few 
years, should feel a deep interest in your future suc- 
cess and prosperity. The years of intercourse we 
have spent in these classic halls have given you a 
place in our affections which we will always cherish 
with kind remembrance. Your studious habits and 
gentlemanly conduct have won our esteem and regard 
to such an extent that we can not but regret the 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 15 I 

necessity that severs the relation that has existed so 
pleasantly between us as teachers and pupils. And 
were it not for the consciousness we have that you 
have wisely improved the opportunities you have 
here enjoyed, and that you now go forth equipped 
and armed for the great battle of life, our regret at 
your separation would be greatly intensified. You 
may rest assured, therefore, that you carry with you 
our best wishes and prayers, and that we part with 
you with feelings similar to those which parents feel, 
when their children reach maturity, and pass from 
under the parental roof to enter upon the stern real- 
ities of life. 

The period of your sojourn in College, which you 
are about completing, has been of great importance 
as a preparation for what awaits you in the future, 
just as the time spent in the muster and drill of troops 
is necessary to their efficiency in the day of battle. 
As no wise or considerate general would wish to risk 
the honor and safety of his country upon an army 
without discipline or skill in the art of war, so your 
parents and friends have been unwilling to let you go 
out into the world to meet its untried realities with- 
out being properly equipped for the contest. And 
knowing, as you do, the advantage you have in this 
respect over the many who are not so highly favored, 
you ought to be devoutly thankful that the lines have 
fallen to you in these pleasant places, and prove your- 
selves to be men. 

When David exhorted Solomon in the text to be 
Strong, we are not to understand him as referring to 
physical strength, as if this were the chief good or 
main object after which we should strive in preference 



152 THE HISTORY OF 

to everything else. A stout, robust, healthy, phys- 
ical constitution is, without doubt, something which 
every one should covet, and is most intimately con- 
nected with the comfort and business of life. There 
is nothing in the world around us that can have such 
value for us as a sound body. It is one of the most 
precious gifts of God to man, and is more to be 
desired than all the gold of Ophir; for what are 
riches, gems, rubies, and all the world prizes, if 
health be wanting to enjoy them? A sickly, frail, and 
delicate constitution is a burden and misfortune for 
any one to bear. And although there are those who 
have accomplished much in the midst of bodily weak 
ness and infirmity, it has been at the sacrifice of ease 
and comfort. To do the work allotted us in the 
world, whether it be difficult or easy, whether it be 
to sit on the throne, or to occupy an humble position 
in life, a sound, healthy body is of great importance. 
And although it soon grows old and feeble, and in 
the end sinks under the accumulated infirmities and 
burdens of life, it is not to be despised or neglected 
on this account. Nor can we say that the education 
of any one is conrtplete, however thorough it may be 
in other respects, if no proper attention has been 
given to the development of the physical constitution. 
The body, although material, is, nevertheless, just as 
susceptible of cultivation and refinement, in all its 
parts, as the mind; and we may say that just in pro- 
portion as it is educated does it become the fit habit- 
ation of the soul, and help it to do its appropriate 
work. Nor can the youth of the day be too careful 
in guarding against all such neglects and sinful indul- 
gences as are calculated to enervate, weaken, and 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 53 

defile the body. Any wrong done to the body, al- 
though it may be long in showing itself, will be just 
as sure in the end to be followed with misery and 
suffering, as the violation of law in any other depart- 
ment. Hence, whilst we would not unduly exalt 
the physical side of our nature, and fall into the 
error of the old Spartans, who regarded those who 
had the largest amount of muscle, bone, and sinew, 
and could, in consequence, deal out the heaviest 
knocks and blows, as the highest types of manhood, 
we would still not despise, or undervalue a sound, 
healthy body, as an indispensable requisite of a happy 
and useful life. If it were possible for us to make an 
exact analysis of all the elements that enter into and 
constitute true greatness, there is hardly a dc-ubt but 
that the physical would come in for a large share as 
the basis of all the rest. For wherever there is a 
tough, hardy, physical frame, there is also, ordinarily, 
a power of endurance which enables those who are 
thus blessed to do what they could not otherwise do, 
of which we have many examples. Hence I would 
exhort you, my young friends, as David did Sol- 
omon, Be strong; take care of, and preserve, as far 
as possible, the health, vigor, and strength of the 
body God has given you, and do not by any inat- 
tention, want of culture, dissipation, or any other 
cause, degrade or unfit it for its appropriate office 
and work. It is altogether probable that, if men 
were to study their physical constitution and observe 
the laws of health, as they should, there would be 
less suffering in the world; fewer pale, sickly, and 
emaciated countenances; more bodily strength and 
endurance, and, as a natural consequence, they would 



jj4 THE HISTORY OF 

live longer, be happier, do more, and be worth more 
to society. With a body well cultured and devel- 
oped you will be enabled to fill with comparative 
ease the place God may assign you, whether it be in 
the pulpit, at the bar, at the bedside of the afflicted, 
or in any of the walks of life: "Be strong, therefore, 
and show yourselves men." 

But important as it is to be physically strong and 
to have a sound, healthy body, as the dwelling-place 
of the soul, it is still of more account to be intel- 
lectually strong. Man, in this respect, stands im- 
measurably far above the lower orders of creation, 
and fills a place peculiar to himself. For whilst there 
are animals that have a great deal more physical 
strength, and can carry and draw burdens which no 
human arm can move, yet, being destitute of reason, 
they bow in quiet submission to man as their lord 
and king, showing thereby his superiority over them. 
And although David makes no direct reference to 
this intellectual greatness in his address to Solomon, 
it is no doubt comprehended in it; for he speaks to 
him as one endowed with reason, and so fitted for 
the high position which he was about to occupy, 
which, if he would fill to the good of all concerned, 
he should be careful not to allow himself to be swayed 
by passion, prejudice, or blind impulse, but to exer- 
cise such discrimination and soundness of judgment, 
in every act of his life, as would give proof of his 
manhood and intellectual greatness. 

And I may here remark that the discipline to whict 
you have been subjected whilst kept within the nar 
row limits of college life 'has been designed to de 
velop the powers of reason with which you have beer 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 155 

endowed, so that you may all prove yourselves to be 
men when you go out into the world and take part in 
its busy pursuits. We spend a large portion of the 
time allotted us in the world in getting ready for our 
life's work. No one is born with the knowledge and 
qualifications requisite for the lowest position in so- 
ciety. The mind, as well as the body, needs to be 
trained and educated before it can do its appropriate 
work. Man diners in this respect from the animal, 
which needs no such training, but is guided and 
directed from the very start by its instinct to what- 
ever pertains to its well-being, and never deviates 
from it. The swallow now builds its nest and the 
beaver its dam without any instruction, as in the days 
of Pliny or Socrates. All moves on in a straight 
line, without the least deviation to the right or left. 
It is different, however, with man, who, although 
endowed with reason and created only a little lower 
than the angels, is necessitated to gain all the knowl- 
edge he needs by hard and patient study. No in- 
vention or discovery has ever yet been made, or ever 
will be made, that will supersede this necessity, as it 
lies in the nature of the mind itself. Hence much 
depends on the cultivation and training of the young, 
whether they will be men of intellectual strength and 
greatness, or mere drones in society. 

And although it is true that the mind starts upon 
its career weak and feeble, with the mere capacity to 
know, it is astonishing what an amount of strength 
and power it acquires by discipline and study. There 
is in fact no such thing as setting bounds to its at- 
tainments and researches ; for where has it not gone, 
and into what has it not penetrated? Every age and 



I56 THE HISTORY OF 

nation has had its intellectual giants, who have gained 
as much notoriety in the world of letters as the heroes 
of antiquity did by their great physical exploits. 
Who has not, for instance, heard of the wisdom of 
Solomon, whose fame has gone out over the world 
as one "who taught the people knowledge and set 
in order many pro verbs.' ' And who does not bow 
in respect and admiration at the mere mention of 
the names of such men as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, 
Bacon, Locke, Kant, Reid, Newton, and a host of 
others of equal intellectual strength. These men 
were all on the same level naturally with the rest of 
mankind, and were born with nothing more than the 
capacity and power to know; but by diligence and 
close application they advanced slowly from one de- 
gree of progress to another, until they at length 
reached the giddy heights from which they looked 
with rapture and delight over the enchanted scene 
that stretched out before them. 

With such examples of intellectual strength and 
greatness before you, I would urge you, my young 
friends, standing, as you do, on the eve of grad- 
uation, to follow in the steps which they have trod- 
den, and make your lives sublime, as they have done. 
The way is as open and inviting to you as it was to 
them. There is no royal road to greatness. Those 
who are born of philosophers and kings have no ad- 
vantage in this respect over the children of the hum- 
blest peasant. Every one, whether rich or poor, if 
he would attain any great intellectuality, must do it 
by his own individual efforts. What we have done, 
as your preceptors, has only been to point out the 
way and make it comparatively easy, so that it now 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I 57 

remains for you to carry forward and perfect what 
has been auspiciously begun. The most powerful 
considerations urge you onward, and not to rest sat- 
isfied until you attain such thoroughness and breadth 
of culture as will fit you for the most effective service, 
in whatever position your lot may be cast. "Be 
strong, therefore, and show yourselves men" — men 
in understanding, men in action, and men in every 
thing you undertake. 

But, important as this is, it is not all that is com- 
prehended in the text, so that if we were to stop 
with what we have said respecting physical and intel- 
lectual strength, our work would be only imperfectly 
done, as the moral and religious element in our nature 
needs to be cultivated and developed as much, if not 
more, than those already referred to. Hence it is 
that we are exhorted to keep the heart with all dili- 
gence, as if any neglect or wrong done to it would be 
followed with the worst and most disastrous conse- 
quences. The heart being the seat of the affections 
and emotions of the soul, it would seem evident to 
all that it ought to be kept in a state of moral sound 
ness and purity ; for if it be evil, our entire nature 
will become vitiated. What you, therefore, need 
above everything else to fit and qualify you for the 
true end and purpose of life is moral or religious 
strength, without which every other gift, precious as 
it may be in itself, will be of comparatively little 
account. For whilst we may admire the strength of 
Hercules, the greatest of Grecian heroes, who is said 
to have performed such labors and exploits as were 
beyond the power of mortals, we can not help feeling 
that he was a being more to be feared and dreaded 



158 THE HISTORY OF 

than loved. And if we contemplate the more en- 
viable and attractive character of Minerva, the God- 
dess of Wisdom, taking up her abode among the 
Athenians, whom she inspired with such love and 
enthusiasm for the arts and sciences, which they 
carried to the highest degree of perfection, our ad- 
miration is greatly intensified. And yet who does 
not feel that this Goddess of Wisdom, much as she 
was adored by the ancients in their blindness and 
superstition, can never command our highest respect 
and homage, as she is destitute of that moral beauty 
and strength which must ever be regarded as the 
perfection of excellence. What we would, there- 
fore, have you seek after, as possessing the highest 
value, is moral strength; or, as we may otherwise 
express it, wholeness, soundness, completeness, and 
integrity of character. With this as your shield and 
buckler, you may withstand all the temptations of 
the world, together with the assaults of wicked and 
unprincipled men, and exert an influence which will 
be calculated to refine, elevate, and ennoble all with 
whom you may be brought into contact. Men of 
such integrity are greatly needed in every depart- 
ment of life; they are the salt of the earth, to pre- 
serve it from moral corruption and putrefaction; 
beacon lights to warn those who are sailing upon the 
ocean of life of the dangers and quicksands before 
them, and at the same time serve as examples to 
encourage the timid and wavering to the perform- 
ance of whatever is good and praiseworthy. Pos- 
sessing such strength and excellence of character, 
your lives will abound in the fruits of righteousness 
unto the praise and glory of God. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 59 

To attain such moral worth and elevation of char- 
acter, which should be sought as a treasure of 
priceless value, is not the work of a day or a year. 
It is not anything that comes of its own accord any 
more than physical or intellectual culture. As con- 
stant exercise and discipline are necessary to the 
sound and healthy development of the body and 
mind, so moral integrity is an acquirement of slow 
and difficult attainment, so much so that only a 
comparatively small number possess it. The reason 
of this lies in the fact that our nature is corrupt and 
depraved, so that the desires, inclinations, and pas- 
sions are evil, and tend in this direction, as the 
sparks fly upward. To live a sensual and sinful 
life is, therefore, an easy matter. All that any one 
has to do, in this respect, is to give a loose reign 
to his passions and appetites, let them have full 
scope, put no restraints or checks upon them, and 
walk in the sight of his eyes, and after the desires 
of his heart, feeling that to-morrow shall be as to- 
day, only more abundant. It is, however, altogether 
different with those who would live a moral and up- 
right life, inasmuch as this requires the mortification 
of the flesh, together with the proper control, regu- 
lation, and direction of all the desires, emotions, and 
passions of the heart, which is naturally deceitful 
above all things and desperately wicked. Hence 
it has become a common saying, that the way to 
Hades is easy and requires no effort, whilst that to 
the Elysian fields is exceedingly difficult, and requires 
the greatest amount of courage, toil, and endurance. 
And I have no doubt that, young as you are, you 
have all found out by your own short experience that 



l6o THE HISTORY OF 

every advance you have made in virtue or true man- 
liness has been at the sacrifice of ease and comfort, 
and that whatever integrity you may possess is the re- 
sult of watchfulness, care, and earnest effort on your 
part. How appropriate, therefore, the words of the 
text, " Be strong, and show thyself a man." 

Having now seen how important physical, intel- 
lectual, and moral strength is, and how intimately 
connected it is with your own individual efforts, it 
only remains for me to encourage you to the fullest 
and most complete cultivation of the nature God has 
given you, so as to unite and combine all the separate 
elements in one beautiful whole, that you may be 
men in the true sense of the term, and so accomplish 
the great end of your being. Do not neglect or suf- 
fer any gift, or power with which you have been en- 
dowed to lie dormant as if it were of little or no 
account. God has created nothing in vain. Hence, 
every single member or part of our being, compli- 
cated as it is, has its place and use, and is so neces- 
sary to the completeness of the whole that there 
would be a serious defect, were it wanting, so that 
that education, and that only, is of the highest type 
which takes up and cultivates the different sides of 
our nature, and unites and combines them into one 
beautiful whole. Anything short of this is incom- 
plete and one-sided. To refine and strengthen the 
body, for instance, without any corresponding im- 
provement of the intellect and heart, is to live a 
sensual, brutish, and materialistic life, as if the great 
end of human existence were to eat, drink, die, and 
be no more. So, if the mind be educated at the 
expense of the body, it, having no basis upon which 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. l6l 

to rest, soon becomes weak and sickly, and sinks 
prematurely to the grave like a rocket that flashes 
and dazzles the eye for a moment and then disap- 
pears. Or, if the heart be neglected, whilst the 
body and soul are cultured and disciplined, the af- 
fections and emotions in this case being suppressed 
and dried up, the character becomes cold, formal, 
rationalistic, and stoical, which, although still beau- 
tiful, like a plant stripped of its flowers, is, never- 
theless, mutilated and imperfect. What is wanted, 
therefore, to constitute true manhood, is such a com- 
plete development of the physical, intellectual, and 
moral capabilities, in their mutual relation and de- 
pendence one upon the other, as to give strength, 
beauty, and perfection to the whole. And he who 
has this in the highest degree is best fitted and quali- 
fied for the work and business of life, and will glorify 
God to the greatest extent. To be men, in this sense 
of the term, is what we would have you all be in the 
different positions you may be called to fill, whether 
they be high or low, public or private. 

We read of a Roman youth who, on reaching ma- 
turity, went into one of the departments where the 
statues and images of the gods and great men of the 
nation were placed, who there, in their presence, 
took off the robe of his boyhood, and put on the 
manly toga, and vowed, in their presence, to imitate 
their virtues and deeds, and make for himself a name 
worthy of his kindred and ancestors. The story, 
whether true or false, is a beautiful one, and is emi- 
nently suggestive and appropriate to the present oc- 
casion. You are now, my young friends, members 

of the Class of 1871, about to make one of the most 
11 



l62 THE HISTORY OF 

important transitions of your life in passing from 
the narrow precincts of the College out into the 
broad arena of life. Thus far you have been under 
the care and instruction of governors and teachers, 
to whom you have looked in every time of emer- 
gency for counsel and direction, as it was meet and 
proper for you to do. You have been laying a foun- 
dation upon which to build; forming plans and char- 
acters for the future; arming yourselves for the battle 
of life, and have been developing and strengthen- 
ing the physical, intellectual, and moral powers of 
your nature so as to be fitted to go out into the world 
and take your place along by the side of those who 
are now engaged in its stern realities. This period is 
now passed, and its work, as far as the College is con- 
cerned, is done. You have reached maturity, and 
are no longer to be kept under tutors and professors. 
It is to be hoped that, with the discipline and cul- 
ture you have had, you are ready to meet the duties 
and responsibilities that await you. How important, 
therefore, as you make the transition, that you lay 
aside what is boyish and puerile, and assume the 
bearing and dignity of men, and here, in the pres- 
ence of God and this vast assembly, resolve that no 
effort shall be wanting on your part to make your life 
a grand success, and that wherever your lot may be 
cast you will always act worthy of the institution at 
whose crystal fountain you drank. Many things that 
were allowable and excusable in you as students, in 
consequence of your age and inexperience, should 
be laid aside for those that belong to and character- 
ize the man. "When I was a child," said Paul, "I 
spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. l6$ 

as a child ; but when I became a man I *put away- 
childish things." If you will but heed the thought, 
so beautifully expressed in these words, you will 
have ail and more than I can say upon this subject. 

Be strong and show yourselves men. The age 
in which we live demands, above everything else, 
men — men of sterling worth and character. We 
have an abundance of superficiality, artful policy, 
intriguery, chicanery, and dissimulation; the world 
is full of cheats, shams, and counterfeits; but true 
nobility of soul, earnestness and manliness in the 
maintenance of what is right is, as it ever has been, 
in great demand. The powers of darkness and sin 
are marshaling their forces as they have never done; 
infidelity and unbelief are boldly striking at the estab- 
lished principles of government and religion, whilst 
science and philosophy, falsely so called, are trying 
to undermine faith in God and Christianity. To 
meet and overcome, by the power of truth, all these 
and other foes, we need men — fnen true as steel and 
firm as the adamantine rock; men of broad culture 
and erudition; men who will spurn to stoop to any- 
thing that is low and mean; men of high aspirations 
and pure motives; men of word and action; men 
who have the fear of God before their eyes, and the 
love of Jesus in their hearts. With an army of men 
like this under the leadership of Christ, the Captain 
of our salvation, there is nothing to fear, for victory- 
will perch itself on our banner. 

"Truth crushed to the earth will rise again, 
The immortal years of God are hers ; 
But error, wounded, writhes in pain, 
And dies amid her worshipers." 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Class of 1872. 



Names of Class. 



John H. Beck, Classical, 
Wm. Herr, . . . " 
Wm. H. Herbert, '_' 
Daniel F. Keller, " 
John J. Leberman 
Silas P. Mauger, 
Edward H. Otting, 
Solomon Ream, 
Richard B. Reichard, ' * 
Leander K. Royer, " 
Herman I. Stern, " 
Edwin R. Williard, " 
Isaac Cahill, . Scientific, 
Wesley S. Fox, ' ' 

Philip B. King, " 



n 



n 



i t 



Springboro, Ohio. 
Galion, Ohio. 
Foglesville, Penn. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Meadville, Penn. 
Basil, Ohio. 
Cincinnati, Ohio. 
Sugar Grove, Ohio. 
Lewisburg, Ohio. 
Flat Rock, Ohio. 
Louisville, Kentucky. 
Tiffin, Ohio, 
Liberty Corners, Ohio, 
Springboro, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 



(164) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 165 

SERMON. 

"This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, 
and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press 
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ 
Jesus." — Philippians iii. 13, 14. 

The history of the world furnishes us with few men 
like the Apostle Paul. It is not every age that gives 
birth to such characters. He is one of the few great 
and mighty men, who now and then appear upon the 
stage of action, demanded by the peculiar wants of 
the times for the accomplishment of some special 
work and mission. Such men set agencies at work 
which will continue to operate to the end of time. 
The planting of the Church in the Roman Empire, 
where idolatry and superstition prevailed, demanded 
a man of extraordinary courage, energy, and perse- 
verance, like what we find in Paul, just as the Refor- 
mation of the Sixteenth Century, and other epochs 
in the history of the world, required a Luther, Zwin- 
gle, Calvin, Knox, and others of similar distinguished 
abilities and attainments. 

Whenever any work is to be done, God always 
furnishes the men for its accomplishment. Having 
all things in his own hands, he is never wanting in 
the means necessary to bring his purposes to pass. 
For sooner may heaven and earth fail than one word 
of the Lord. In this respect, the history of the 
world and of the Church furnishes a most interesting 
subject of study, in that it displays the hand of God 
so remarkably in raising up the instruments necessary 
to the onward progress of things, so that wherever 
we look we see a constant and steady advancement 
in every department of life. 



l66 THE HISTORY OF 

It is also worthy of remark that those who, in the 
providence of God, are made to fill a most important 
part in the drama of life are not always naturally the 
most gifted and original characters. Great talents, 
although they are among the choicest gifts of our 
beneficent Father in heaven, are not essentially nec- 
essary to eminence, or success in life. Many not 
possessed with the genius of a Shakespeare, or a Mil- 
ton, are, nevertheless, numbered among the bene- 
factors of mankind. We know not, indeed, that 
Paul was possessed with greater natural endowments 
than Peter, or some of the other apostles; and yet 
he was more abundant in labors than all of them, 
and was chosen by the Spirit of God as the one 
through whom we have the largest portion of the 
New Testament Scriptures. What gifts and talents 
he had, he improved most diligently, and thus went 
on, from one degree of progress to another, until he 
at last reached the mark for the prize of the high 
calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

Such a character as this, young gentlemen, is 
worthy of your most careful study and imitation; 
and although we may hardly suppose that any of you 
will ever attain the lofty heights to which the Apostle 
soared, or accomplish a work equal to that which he 
did, yet still there is much in his life to stimulate you 
to the highest and noblest aspirations. For although 
you may not be called to fill a place in all respects 
like that which he did, yet you have each one a place 
to fill, and a work to perform, that will have a most 
important bearing upon yourselves as well as upon 
the progress of society. And if you do the work as- 
signed you to the best of your ability, your reward will 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 67 

be great and glorious, inasmuch as the Master looks 
more to the diligence and fidelity of his servants than 
he does to the sphere which tney may be called to 
fill. And, as you are now passing out of your aca- 
demic course, and taking a step in advance of any 
you have heretofore occupied, bringing you, as it 
does, to the entrance of public life, we who have 
had the charge and direction of your studies can 
not let the occasion pass by without a word of coun- 
sel and advice, with the hope and prayer that, wher- 
ever in the providence of God your lot may be cast, 
you may act well your part and receive the reward 
of your diligence. 

Every calling that is honest and lawful offers a 
wide field for the exercise of the highest talents. It 
should also be the desire and ambition of those who 
enter these callings to advance and promote them 
to the extent of their ability. No one should be a 
drone, or incubus in any department of life, whatever 
may be its comparative importance. To be such, is a 
reproach to any one endowed with the noble powers 
with which God has endowed us. Whatever calling, 
therefore, you may enter, whether it be the highest or 
the lowest, let it be your ambition to excel in it, and 
attain the greatest eminence which it is possible for 
you to do. In this respect, we have a useful lesson in 
the life of Paul, who, although called at a late period 
to the apostleship, nevertheless obtained an enviable 
distinction, and became more abundant in labors than 
any of the other apostles of our Lord. And in the 
words of my text he gives us the secret of his suc- 
cess, which is found in the close application and de- 
votion which he gave to the work to which he felt 



1 68 THE HISTORY OF 

himself called. Having recognized the call, or ne- 
cessity to preach the gospel, he magnified his office, 
and devoted all the energies of his ardent nature to 
it. From this time forth nothing could divert him 
from his appropriate work, which he regarded as 
the one single object of his life, to which everything 
had henceforth to be subordinate. Difficulties, dan- 
gers, and persecutions, instead of intimidating, only 
aroused more fully the latent energies of his soul, and 
made him the more earnest. Neither the entreaties 
of his friends, nor the threats of his enemies, could 
make him swerve in the least from what he knew 
to be the will of God. When one labor was per- 
formed, or duty done, whether it was in preaching 
the gospel in Ephesus, Corinth, or Rome, or suffer- 
ing some gross indignity for the name and cause of 
Christ, whose servant he was, he forgot that which 
was past and done, and went forward cheerfully 
wherever the Master called him, even though he 
knew that wherever he went he would be exposed 
to reproach, imprisonment, and death. Indeed, the 
world does not present an example of greater moral 
heroism than we find in Paul, who was willing to 
suffer the loss of all things for the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ. His life furnishes an instance 
of what a man can do, when he devotes himself 
wholly to any particular work. Such an example 
must have lessons for you, starting, as you now do, 
upon the highway of life, and it is with the desire of 
exciting noble aspirations in you that I now call your 
attention to it. 

Having finished the course of study prescribed in 
order to graduation, you are now making an impor- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 69 

tant transition in life — one to which you have, no 
doubt, often looked with anxious solicitude — carrying 
with you many pleasant recollections. There is no 
part of life that is filled with so many and varied in- 
cidents as that which a young man spends in College. 
The associations which are here formed are of such 
a nature as the mind often loves to revert to. It is, 
in fact, one of the sunniest spots in life's pilgrimage, 
which we can no more forget than the traveler, after 
he has finished a long and tedious journey, can forget 
some pleasant oasis where he sat under the shadow 
of a wide-spreading oak and refreshed himself amid 
the fatigues and hardships of the way. Situated 
as you may be, whether in affluence or poverty, 
whether in the halls of legislation or the common 
walks of life, whether you enjoy literary fame or are 
comparatively unknown, the scenes which you are 
now leaving will ever and anon intrude themselves 
upon your mind. There were, doubtless, pleasant 
remembrances to Paul of the time he sat at the feet 
of Gamaliel which he would not cast into the sea of 
forgetfulness. It was not in this sense that he forgot 
the things that were behind. He would not make 
any period of his life a blank, even though it may 
not have been spent in the wisest and best way. Nor 
would we have you forget the time you have spent 
in the classic halls of Heidelberg. It is to us, and 
we trust it is to you, a pleasant, and, in some re- 
spects, a sacred period. Having become endeared to 
you by the intercourse we have had, we, who have 
led you along and through the fields of knowledge, 
pointing you here and there to the flowers by which 
they are beautified and adorned, still bear you in 



I70 THE HISTORY OF 

our hearts, and will not cease to pray that Heaven's 
rich blessing may rest upon you. We hope never to 
forget the years we have labored and toiled with you ; 
and, although they are now past, they will still hold 
a place in our memories. So we would have you 
look back from whatever position you may occupy 
to the time you have spent in your academic studies 
as the ones in which you have laid the foundation for 
what success you may attain in life. Cherish all that 
has been pleasant arid ennobling in the intercourse 
you have had with those to whom you have been 
allied; and, in the pleasant recollection of by-gone 
years, labor, as occasion may offer, for the prosperity 
and success of your Alma Mater. 

The period you are now finishing is one you can 
not well overestimate, even though you have been, 
to a great extent, shut out from the active duties 
of life; for, although you have not been pleading 
at the bar with the view of having justice meted 
out to those who have been wronged and oppressed ; 
although you have not stood in the pulpit entreating 
men in Christ's stead to become reconciled to God; 
although you have not been in the arena of politi- 
cal life, carried along as too many are by its turbid 
waters ; although you have not been by the bedside 
of the sick and dying, administering the healing art 
with the view of alleviating the sufferings of your 
fellow-men, and prolonging useful lives; and although 
you have not been tilling the soil, or reaping a rich 
harvest of fruit as the reward of your labor, yet, 
notwithstanding all this, these years of dull and dry 
study, as some of you may, perhaps, term them, have 
been, if rightly improved, as important as any you 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I7I 

may ever spend. Everything has its proper time 
and place. As seed-time and harvest, summer and 
winter, heat and cold, all have their place, and the 
one exerts its influence upon the other, so it is with 
the different periods in the life of man. No one 
is complete in itself, or independent of the other, 
but all combine to make our life what God designed 
it should be. Any neglect or wrong done to one 
period will, and must, in the nature of the case, 
affect all the rest more or less. In this view of the 
subject, the time you have spent in College prepar- 
ing yourselves for the work and business of life has 
been of great importance. As constant and healthy 
exercise is necessary to develop the powers of our 
physical nature, so patient toil and study are equally 
necessary to unfold and strengthen the powers of 
the mind, so as to fit it for its appropriate work. 
Self-made men, as they are sometimes called, are like 
angels' visits — few and far between. Careful obser- 
vation and calculation have demonstrated that more 
than three-fourths of those who occupy the highest 
and most responsible positions in life have passed 
through the same rigid academic training to which 
you have been subjected. It is, indeed, the royal 
road to eminence and usefulness in the world. Those 
who disregard and speak against it, and seek a shorter 
and easier course, more congenial to the sluggard, 
seldom ever attain to more than ordinary superfi- 
ciality, which can only sustain itself for a short time, 
and is then on the wing in pursuit of something else. 
To what else are we so much to attribute the changes 
and removals that are constantly going on with a cer- 
tain class of persons as a want of fitness and prepa- 



!^2 THE HISTORY OF 

ration for the positions they occupy. Superficiality 
and quackery soon tell all they know, and are, there- 
fore, ever in search of new fields, so that the soles 
of their feet have no rest. The most effectual 
antidote to everything of this kind is a thorough 
preparation in the period of youth for whatever call- 
ing in life any one may be designed. Pythagoras 
well understood this in that he required his students 
to spend four years of thought and study before they 
were permitted to speak upon any subject, affirming 
that it was necessary first to have something to say 
before they made the attempt. As Plato would not 
hive been the profound philosopher and dialectician 
he was, had it not been for the eight years of instruc- 
tion he received of Socrates, the greatest of Grecian 
sages; and as Aristotle would not have been the 
universal genius he was, having traversed almost 
every department of literature, had it not been for 
the twenty years of discipline he had with Plato ; so 
the years of toil and study spent in our schools and 
colleges are of equal importance in fitting the youth 
of the present day for the active duties of life. The^ 
only regret we can, or ought to have is that so few 
are led to look upon it in its true light, and enjoy 
the advantages it affords. Considering the wealth of 
our people, and the facilities they enjoy to fit their 
children for the highest usefulness, it is sad to think 
that there are so few who have more than a super- 
ficial education, and are thus unprepared for the ordi- 
nary avocations of life. 

In this view of the subject, you may well feel 
gratified, young gentlemen, that you did not tire 
in your course, and hasten upon the arena of pub- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1/3 

He life before you had a thorough preparation for it. 
You may yet live to see that the race is not always 
to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. It is better 
to go slow and sure, and see that every stone and 
brick which you lay is well polished and fitted for 
the place it is made to occupy, that you may not 
be under the necessity of taking down what you 
have built and laying the foundation anew. There 
is often much time and labor spent uselessly in this 
way by those who have no proper preparation for 
their vocation, and, as a matter of course, accom- 
plish little in the end. 

Passing, as you now do, from your academic ca- 
reer to that which lies before you, let the example 
.of the Apostle, as recorded in my text, induce you 
to devote your whole strength and energy to the 
calling for which you have been endeavoring to fit 
yourselves. Forgetting that w T hich is behind and 
finished, look to that which lies before you, and do 
with all your might what your hands find to do, 
remembering, as you go along, what you must have 
long since learned, that there is no excellence with- 
out labor. Keep your eye fixed upon the mark for 
the prize of your calling, and make manly efforts to 
reach it. Those who have preceded you, and ob- 
tained a high distinction, have, as a rule, realized 
their hopes and aspirations only after years of patient 
labor. It is, indeed, only as you prove yourselves 
true, in that which is least, that you are at all pre- 
pared to occupy higher and more responsible posi- 
tions. If a man does not improve one talent, he 
is not to be intrusted with two or more. There 
is in this, as in every other department of life, an 



1/4 THE HISTORY OF 

order to which we are to conform. As no one be- 
comes a skillful mechanic by a few strokes of the 
hammer, or a distinguished painter by a few touches 
of the pencil, or an eminent scholar by a few hours 
of study, so no one attains, or is fitted to occupy, a 
high and lofty position in life who does not prepare 
himself for such advancement by the labor and dis- 
cipline necessary thereto. It is, perhaps, one of the 
greatest mistakes to which young men are liable, 
that they are too ready to become disheartened, and 
to give up in despair if they do not, in a few years, 
attain the eminence which required a life of toil on 
the part of their fathers. Many a one who has 
stopped short in his course, and failed thereby to 
gain the crown, would, no doubt, have reached more 
than ordinary mediocrity had he only continued in 
the way of well-doing. Whilst, therefore, we would 
advise you to set your mark high as you enter the 
arena of life, we would, at the same time, urge you 
to keep pressing patiently toward it, even though it 
may require years of self-denial and toil to reach it. 

In close and intimate connection with the thought 
to which we have thus adverted, is the appropriate 
and expressive motto which you have adopted as the 
watchword of your class — After the struggle is the 
crown. Make this the guiding star of your life, and 
endeavor to catch the inspiration it is calculated to 
kindle in the breast of every generous youth, and 
you will be led on from one conquest to another 
until you attain the crown after which you are striv- 
ing. There is no truth more clearly demonstrated 
in the history of the past than this. God is not 
slack concerning his promises, as some men count 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1/5 

slackness. Having established fixed and unalterable 
principles in his government, there is nothing surer 
than their steady and invariable results. As certain 
as it is that those who labor with their hands, and do 
the things that are right and proper, will have their 
bread made sure, so certain is it that patient and 
persevering struggles, in any and everything that is 
honorable and praiseworthy, will, sooner or later, 
be crowned with success. To deny this would be 
to contravene the order and arrangement of Divine 
Providence, and to falsify the history of the past, 
the uniform and concurrent testimony of which is 
that glory, honor, and immortality are the sure and 
inevitable results of patient perseverance in well- 
doing; whilst tribulation, anguish, and distress shall 
come upon every soul that does evil. The opera- 
tion and results of these principles are just as cer- 
tain as that day and night succeed each other. And, 
as the violation or interruption of any of the laws 
that pertain to the physical world would break the 
harmony of the spheres, equally disastrous would it 
be in the moral government of God, were there any 
doubt or uncertainty as to the final result of a life 
of devotion and perseverance in well-doing. Not, 
indeed, that we may always expect the result in the 
exact form in which men anticipate and desire it, for 
in this respect there is not unfrequently a great dis- 
appointment. Many labor hard to become wealthy, 
and yet die poor, whilst many strive after the honors 
of the world without ever obtaining them. There 
are, in fact, those in every department of life who 
make miserable failures, and struggle hard without 
ever wearing any crown. This, however, is not be- 



1/6 THE HISTORY OF 

cause there is any uncertainty in the operation of the 
principles and laws that characterize the government 
of God, as though the hand of the diligent would 
not prosper, or that those who honor and serve God 
would receive no reward. Were this the case, there 
would be no incentive to a life of devotion, either in 
the physical or moral world, and the energies of men 
would be completely paralyzed, so that we are to 
attribute these failures to human imperfection, and 
to the want of a proper understanding and appli- 
cation of the principles that pertain to well-doing, 
showing the great importance which there is in a 
man striving lawfully if he would wear the crown. 

The history of the world does not furnish us with 
a more striking illustration of the truth, that after 
the struggle is the crown, than the life, labors, and 
triumphant death of the Apostle. His, as you well 
know, was a struggle of no ordinary character. The 
account which he himself gives, in the eleventh chap- 
ter of Second Corinthians, of his labors and sufferings, 
is such as to excite the greatest sympathy and admi- 
ration of his heroic endurance, as well as astonish- 
ment how it was possible for him to continue as long 
as he did under the pressure of such opposition and 
persecution. And yet, in the midst of all, we see 
him hopeful and persevering, forgetting the things 
that were behind, and pressing toward the mark for 
the prize of his high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 
Looking at all he suffered and did, there is reason to 
believe, that of all who have devoted themselves to 
the spread of the gospel, whether at home or abroad, 
there is no life that is so eventful and that comprises 
so much as that of the Apostle Paul, so that we need 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 77 

not wonder that it occasioned the joy it did as he 
reviewed it 'in the near approach of death, saying, 
"I am now ready to be offered up, and the time of 
my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, 
I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; 
henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of right- 
eousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will 
give me at that day." 

With such an example of usefulness, activity, and 
heroic endurance, with all that is grand and glorious 
in life itself to stimulate and excite you to noble 
deeds, as you now leave the classic halls of Heidel- 
berg to enter the great contest that is going on in 
the world, we cherish the fond hope, young gentle- 
men, that you will endeavor to make your lives a 
success in whatever department you may enter. To 
do this much will depend upon yourselves. Every 
man must, after all, work out the problem of his own 
life. What we have thus far done for you, and what 
others may hereafter do, will only be calculated to 
awaken and arouse the latent energies of your mind, 
in the hope that you yourselves may employ and 
direct them in the accomplishment of great and good 
results. The office of the teacher is not by any means 
to do the work of the pupil, but only to awaken in 
him a consciousness of his own power, and thus 
excite him to do for himself that which he alone can 
and must do if he would ever accomplish and attain 
the true end of life. This work we have endeavored 
to do during the time you have been under our care 
and instruction. And having impressed it upon you 
as the first great lesson, without which all other 
teaching will be of comparatively little importance, 

12 



I7 g THE HISTORY OF 

we trust that you will go forth to the battle of life, 
feeling that you, too, have a work to do, and that 
God has and will give you the ability and strength 
necessary to its performance. Thus equipped and 
armed, you will be equal to every emergency that 
may arise, if you prove true to, and acquit yourselves 

like men. 

There is much that ought to excite in you the 
highest aspirations as you look out upon the world 
upon which you are about to enter. The domain of 
truth is not yet explored in all its various depart- 
ments. What has thus far been done has only re- 
vealed the vast treasures that are still hidden. No 
department of science has been carried to perfection. 
For aught we know there may be some of the richest 
gems of truth that are yet to be discovered, inviting 
the search and investigation of every lover of truth. 

There is much, also, to be done to alleviate the 
condition of the race. Wherever you look there is 
much ignorance, superstition, suffering, and misery. 
As Paul felt every noble impulse of his nature stirred 
within him, as he beheld from Mars' Hill the idolatry 
and degradation of the Athenians, notwithstanding 
all their philosophy and advancement in the arts of 
civilized life, so the present moral condition of the 
world ought to excite your sympathies and induce 
you to devote all the power God has given you to 
improve and better it to the extent of your ability. 

There is room in the Church and world for all kinds 
of workers. The poorest and least recognized have 
their place and are as much needed as the rich and 
learned. There is, therefore, a place for you, if you 
only have a mind to work. As the sparkling jewels 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 179 

of a watch can not say to the mainspring, which lies 
in modest coil by their side, We have no need of thee y 
and as this again can not say to the tiniest cog-wheel, 
/ have no need of thee y as the whole would stop if it 
were wanting, so, according to the wisdom of our be- 
neficent Creator, we have all a place to fill, a work to 
perform. No one, therefore, need or should stand 
idle, as if there were nothing for him to do : 

" A sacred burden is the life you bear ; 
Look on it, lift it, bear it solemnly, 
Stand up and walk beneath it steadfastly, 
Fail not for sorrow, falter not for sin, 
But onward, upward, till the goal you win." 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Class of 1873, 



Names of Class. 

William M. Andrews, Classical, Sharon, Ohio. 

John H. Carson, Classical, . Fairfield, Ohio. 

Reuben Keller, Classical, . Sulphur Springs, O. 

Christ.. C. Creger, Scientific, . Tiffin, Ohio. 

Fred. P. Hartmetz, Scientific, Philadelphia, Penn. 

Wilson W. Keller, Scientific, Tiffin, Ohio. 

Lenius M. Turner, Scientific, Columbus Grove, O. 

Miranda J. Bacher, Scientific, Tiffin, Ohio. 

Becca O'Conner, Scientific, . Tiffin, Ohio. 



(180) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. l8l 

SERMON. 

"I am glorified in them." John xvii. io. 

These were among the last words spoken by 
Christ when on earth, and contain one of the reasons 
which he gave for the preservation and protection of 
the disciples he was about to leave behind in the 
world. While he was with them he kept and de- 
fended them from the evils to which they were ex- 
posed. But as he was soon to be separated from them 
by a cruel and ignominious death, having finished the 
work for which he had come into the world, he com- 
mended them to the care and protection of his Father 
in heaven, saying, " Holy Father, keep through thine 
own name those whom thou hast given me." And in 
the text he gives the reason why he desired their 
preservation, saying, "I am glorified in them." 

It must have been a source of great pleasure to the 
Redeemer of the world to know, that the disciples he 
had chosen and called into his service would, with 
one exception, prove true to him, when he would be 
no longer bodily present with them, as he had been, 
and that they would maintain the cause, and carry 
forward the work for which he had come into the 
world. This joy, no doubt, greatly overbalanced the 
sorrow and grief which the hypocrisy and treachery 
of Judas occasioned. 

We are all so constituted as to rejoice when we see 
those whom we have taken into our confidence and 
esteem act worthy of themselves and us. Parents 
have great pleasure in seeing their children rise to 
respectability and influence. Ministers rejoice when 
those to whom they minister in holy things walk 



1 82 THE HISTORY OF 

worthily of their calling. Rulers are delighted when 
the people obey the laws and maintain the honor and 
authority of the state. Nor can I disguise the fact, 
my young friends, that we, who have had you under 
our care and instruction for the last few years, have a 
deep solicitude and anxiety that when you take your 
departure from us, and go out into the busy world, 
you may act worthy of yourselves and us, so as to be 
a credit and honor to the institution with which you 
have been associated. 

' The persons to whom Christ refers in the text as 
those through whom he would be glorified were the 
disciples whom he had called into his service and con- 
stituted members of his kingdom. In one sense he 
will be glorified in all his creatures, in the condem- 
nation of the wicked, as well as in the justification of 
the righteous; for such are his dealings toward the 
children of men, that those who refuse to submit to 
his authority and rule will deserve the punishment 
inflicted upon them, no less than those who love and 
serve him will be entitled to the rewards conferred 
upon them. The sentence in either case will be just 
and right, and as such it will be honoring to Christ. 
It is, however, in a special and peculiar sense that 
Christ is glorified in his disciples, and it is to this we 
desire to call attention at this time. 

To glorify any one in the sense in which it is used 
in the text is to honor and magnify him, and hold 
him up to the admiration and delight of others, so as 
to cause him to be loved and esteemed. It is in this 
sense God is glorified in his works; for the more we 
study and consider them the more we see that is 
worthy of his being and character. In this way every 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 83 

thing above, around, beneath, and within us, declares 
his glory, wisdom, goodness, and power. So when 
Christ says in the text that he is glorified in his dis- 
ciples, he means there will be that in them, in their 
spirit, life, walk, conversation, and character, that 
which will be a credit and honor to him, as their 
Lord and Master. And as there are many ways in 
which he is thus glorified in them, I shall now refer 
to the most prominent, hoping thereby to stir up in 
you all the^desire of accomplishing this object to the 
fullest extent. 

And in doing this, I would remark, in the first 
place, that Christ is glorified in his disciples when 
they receive and publish the doctrines he has taught. 
One great end for which he came into the world was 
to make known the mind and will of God concerning 
our redemption. With the entrance of sin into the 
world the understanding became darkened, so that 
the light and knowledge which man had originally 
was gradually lost. His condition became more and 
more hopeless, until the darkness and gloom that 
hung over him became appalling, with no hope of 
deliverance. The world, with all its wisdom, did 
not, and could not, know God. The cry of despair 
was heard on all sides. To dispel this dark cloud that 
overspread the mind, and bring deliverance to those 
who sat in the region and shadow of death, Christ 
came, bringing life and immortality to light. With 
his advent a new and heavenly light began to dawn, 
which will continue to shine with increased bright- 
ness until it will illuminate all the dark places of the 
earth. Hence he is represented as the true Light, 
that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 



184 THE HISTORY OF 

What this light is which Christ brought into the 
world no one need be ignorant of, as we have a true 
and faithful record of his teaching in the New Testa- 
ment Scriptures, by those who were eye and ear wit- 
nesses of all he said and did. This being open to 
the search and investigation of all, and being taught 
in the family, Sunday-school, and pulpit, it is pre- 
sumable that all who live in a Christian land are 
familiar with the revelation Christ has made, which is 
full and complete, embracing all that is necessary to 
our salvation. 

To receive and publish these doctrines of Christ is 
honoring to him, inasmuch as they furnish the most 
conclusive evidence of his divine and exalted charac- 
ter, and of the benign influence of the religion which 
he has established. In vain do we search for any- 
thing like it among all the systems of philosophy and 
religion that have been devised. The writings of the 
wisest sages of ancient or modern times bear no com- 
parison to the teachings of Christ; for, according to 
the confession of his enemies, never man spake as he 
did. Truths which ages had desparingly sought to 
unravel, and bring out to the consciousness of men, 
are enunciated with such clearness and comprehen- 
siveness that even those who are unlearned in the 
sciences of the world have no difficulty in understand- 
ing. The fact is the instructions of Christ surpass all 
others as much as the sun outshines the stars. He is 
the teacher of all teachers, himself the way, the truth, 
the life, so that no one can come to God except by 
him. There is nothing wanted in the revelation he 
has made. It is perfect and unique. After centuries 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 185 

of discovery, criticism, and progress in the arts and 
sciences, no weakness or imperfection has been dis_ 
covered in it. Like its Author, it is the miracle of the 
ages, above all criticism. It has light to dispel the 
darkness and gloom which sin has brought into the 
world; it has consolation for the sorrowing; joy for 
the disconsolate; manna for the hungry; water for 
the thirsty; peace for the troubled conscience; rest 
for the weary; in short, earth has no sorrow, ache, 
or pain, for which it does not furnish a remedy. 
Surely a religion like this, adapted to all classes and 
conditions of society, whether rich or poor, bond or 
free, young or old, must be honoring to its Author. 

Any one acquainted with the past history of the 
Church knows that persistent and earnest efforts have 
been made, in accordance with the command of Christ, 
to have the gospel carried to and preached in all 
lands. And so extensive and successful have these 
efforts been that Christianity has already obtained a 
footing in the principal nations of the earth, and bids 
fair, in a comparatively short time, to become the 
religion of the world. This it has done in the face 
of the most determined opposition, which, instead of 
abating the. zeal and devotion of the followers of 
Christ, has only made them the more earnest. Many 
have sacrificed the comforts and endearments of 
home, and gone to the dark and benighted regions of 
the earth, at the risk of all that was dear to them, in 
order that they might plant the standard of the cross 
amid the abominations of pagan idolatry. There 
never has been a cause that has enlisted so many in 
its behalf as Christianity. The means that are now 



1 86 THE HISTORY OF 

employed by the Church for the Christianization of 
the world are of the broadest and most compre- 
hensive character. Bibles and tracts are published 
and circulated by the thousands and millions, whilst 
the number of faithful and devoted missionaries who 
are laboring in foreign fields is exceedingly larger 11 
of whom are sustained and supported by the volun- 
tary contributions of Christians. The amount } 
nually expended in the spread of the gospel is aim ^ 
beyond calculation. Looking, therefore, at all 1' ,. 
has been done in the past, and at what is now be L 
done by the disciples of Christ for the final triun- x 
of Christianity, we need not wonder that he she- | 
have desired their preservation, as he would be j j. 
rifled by their efforts to extend and build up his ki ; - 
dom in every part of the world. 

I remark, again, that Christ is glorified in his r 
ciples, inasmuch as they all possess his mind \ * 
spirit. How it is that there is such an intimate' 
lation between him and them we need not stop* * 
inquire. The fact is patent to all, who have gi 
any attention to the subject, that just as soon as ; i 
one embraces Christianity there is a bond of $f - 
pathy and union that springs up between him f 
Christ that nothing can quench or destroy. Ch^ 
lives in him and he in Christ, effecting a union sifefi 
as is found no where else. We have many instances 
of the warm and abiding friendship that has uncon- 
sciously sprung up between teacher and pupil. Some 
men have a wonderful power and magnetism about 
them, so that those who come within the circle of 
their influence are charmed in a way they can not 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I 87 

resist. Thus Socrates is said to have so captivated 
those who were even at first repulsed by his un 
seemly personal appearance, by the power of his 
eloquence and the persuasiveness of his manner, that 
it was next to impossible for them to break the coil 
I / which he drew them to himself. The Athenians, 
seeing the power he had over the youth of the city, 

xame alarmed for its safety, and, not understand- 
j g the great philosopher, for such he was, nor the 
f fluence of his teaching, had him condemned as a 
J >rrupter of morals. In like manner there have been 
l .hers who have so powerfully impressed their views 
i id spirit upon those who have heard them that they 
ij we been ready to sacrifice everything in their behalf. 
£ nd yet of all the great and wonderful teachers the 

orld has produced, from Socrates to the present 
£ me, where is there one who has so impressed him- 
l If upon his followers as Christ ? There is some- 
_ dng wonderful; yea, more, there is something 
x vine, in the power of his teaching; so that if we 
. id nothing else, we might infer from this alone that 
j 1 was more than human. He did not deal in vague 
generalities, nor amuse those who heard, him with 

ne-spun theories and imaginary speculations, but 
iddressed himself directly to the heart, so that his 
words were spirit and life, quickening those who 
were dead in trespasses and sins to a life of holiness 
and purity, in consequence of which his disciples 
were animated with a new and divine power, by 
which they became united to him as the branch is 
united to the vine. Hence Christianity, as taught by 
Christ, is more than a code of laws or system of doc- 



1 88 THE HISTORY OF 

trine. For, had he merely established a school of 
philosophy, as Plato and Aristotle of ancient, and 
Locke and Kant, of modern times did, his teaching, 
however excellent it might have been, would long 
since have lost its power, and been supplanted by 
something else. There was more, therefore, in the 
instructions of Christ than in any one who preceded 
him, not even excepting the prophets of old, who 
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. No 
one can contemplate Christ, even as a teacher, with- 
out feeling that he stands immeasurably far above all 
others, and that the truths which he taught have such 
a power and influence upon his disciples as to bind 
them to him in the closest ties of relationship, so that 
all those who are joined to him become one spirit 
with him. And it is the possession of this spirit, 
more than anything else, that constitutes discipleship 
in the school of Christ ; for if any man have not the 
Spirit of Christ he is none of his. The fact, there- 
fore, that all who are the disciples of Christ are made 
to possess his Spirit, and thus constitute one brother- 
hood, animated by a common aim and purpose, and 
bound together by ties of affection that are stronger 
than death, is honoring to him in the highest degree. 
And if the possession of the Spirit of Christ by his 
disciples is honoring to him, its manifestation and oper- 
ation, as seen in their walk and conversation, is no 
less so. Christianity, as all must know, is more than 
a mere form, or name ; it is the power of a new 
life in the soul, working in man, as leaven does in 
the meal in which it is put, or as the plastic power 
works in the plant or tree, causing the life-principle, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 89 

which lies in the germ, to diffuse and make itself felt 
in every leaf, twig and branch. So the Spirit of 
Christ, when it takes possession of the heart, will so 
control the thinking, feeling, willing and acting of 
those who possess it, as to bring them more and more 
under its influence, until, at last, every thought, pur- 
pose and desire is made to harmonize with the Divine 
will. Hence no man can have the Spirit of Christ and 
live like an atheist, or worldling, any more than a good 
tree can produce evil fruit, or a corrupt tree good fruit. 
Resemblances there may be in the morality of the 
world, which look so much like the fruits of the Spirit 
that it may be difficult for us to distinguish between the 
true and the false ; and yet, after all, there can be no 
real affinity or union; for what concord has sin with 
holiness, light with darkness, Christ with Belial ? These 
being directly opposite to each other, they can .no- 
more be found together in the kingdom of grace than 
it is possible in the natural world to gather figs from 
thorns, or grapes from thistles. As the Spirit of 
Christ is, therefore, active in producing its appropriate 
fruits, which are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gen- 
tleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance, 
which are just the opposite of the works of the flesh, 
it must be honoring to him to see the manifestation of 
these fruits in the life and conduct of his followers, in- 
asmuch as they are always elevating and ennobling in 
their influence, and constitute the highest style of 
manhood. And although they are not found perfect 
in any one as they were in Christ, yet, after making 
all proper allowance, it must still be apparent to the 
most casual observer that the difference between those 



I9O THE HISTORY OF 

who have the Spirit of Christ and those who have the 
spirit of the world is such as to bring great credit and 
glory to him, as it is through him they have been 
made to differ. 

Christ is glorified, again, in his disciples by the love 
and esteem in which he is held. There is nothing more 
commendable and praiseworthy to any one, whether 
he be a teacher, philosopher, legislator, general, or 
founder of a new religion, than to be held in grateful 
recollection by those with whom he has been asso- 
ciated. What is there, for instance, that sheds such 
luster upon the character of our immortal Washing- 
ton as the grateful remembrance and universal esteem 
in which he is held by every American citizen ? Chil- 
dren repeat his name with as much respect and vener- 
ation as the aged sire, and love to speak of him as the 
first in war, the first in peace, and the first in the 
hearts of his countrymen. His memory will always 
be held in grateful recollection, and will never be for- 
gotten, so long as our liberty and independence last. 
There are also other names, which, if not so dear as 
that of Washington, are still mentioned with fond 
recollection, and will be handed down from gener- 
ation to generation as a rich and precious legacy. 
And yet, illustrious as these examples are, they are 
but faint and imperfect comparisons of the honor and 
esteem in which Christ is held by his disciples. Tender 
as is the love of a mother for the child she bore, and 
warm as is the affection of a sister for the brother that 
grew up by her side, it- is not like the love of Christ, 
which no fires of persecution, nor trials, nor buffeting, 
nor dangers can extinguish. "For who," says Paul, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I9I 

who was himself tried as perhaps no one else ■ ' i shall 
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribula- 
tion, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or naked- 
edness, or peril, or sword ? ._ . Nay, in all these things 
we are more than conquerors through him that loved 
us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, 
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, 
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us 
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our 
Lord." This, although very bold and confident lan- 
guage, has, nevertheless, been expressive of the views 
and feelings of thousands in all ages of the Church. 
There is, in fact, no love like that which the disciple 
has for Christ; for, said he, "If any man will come to 
me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and 
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own 
life also, he can not be my disciple;" by which he 
meant that our love to him must be so much stronger 
and more fervent than that which we have for any 
other person or thing ; that the love which we have for 
these lower objects may, by way of contrast, be called 
hated in comparison with that which we have to Christ. 
How beautifully, too, all this has been exemplified in 
the history of the Church, which is but a record of the 
toils, hardships, sacrifices, privations, sufferings and 
deaths endured for the name and sake of Christ. 
Many have followed him to prison and death, spurn- 
ing with contempt the offer of pardon and deliver- 
ance if they would but renounce their allegiance to 
him, and have sung praises to Christ in the midst of 
flames and tortures beyond expression, in the con- 



I92 THE HISTORY OF 

fident hope of a better and more enduring inheritance 
in heaven. What could bring greater glory to Christ 
than such triumphs of love on the part of his friends 
and disciples ? Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon estab- 
lished great and powerful kingdoms, which wielded a 
mighty influence for a time, and then crumbled and 
fell to pieces by internal broils and contentions, whilst 
Christ founded his kingdom on the principle of love, 
which has so united and bound his followers to him 
and one another that it has been steadily growing for 
more than eighteen centuries, notwithstanding the 
combined opposition of men and devils, and is to-day 
more firmly rooted and grounded in the hearts of his 
disciples than it ever was ; for there are without doubt 
more now who would lay down their lives for him, if 
the sacrifice were demanded, than there ever were. 
Surely Christ is glorified in such constancy, love and 
affection on the part of his disciples. 

I remark, again, that Christ is glorified in his disciples 
by the zeal and activity which they have always man- 
ifested in his cause. It is really wonderful what 
agencies and forces have been started for the amelior- 
ation and elevation of mankind, since the introduction 
of Christianity eighteen centuries ago. The world has 
moved on toward the final consummation of things 
with, a speed never known before. Civilization, com- 
merce, art, science, literature, and many other things 
connected with the well-being of society, have received 
such an impetus that they are scattering their blessings 
far and wide. And can any one, who has watched the 
progress that has been going on in every department 
of life, with a view of finding out its secret, hidden 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 93 

cause, be at any loss to see that Christianity, as it has 
been unfolding itself through the Church, the pillar and 
ground of the truth, is the power that is quickening, 
reforming and regenerating the world? Take this 
away, and stop, if it were possible, all the agencies 
that have been started, kept in motion, and that are 
now employed by the followers of Christ for the 
Christianization of the race, and how soon would the 
wheels of progress stand still, and the world go back to 
its former helplessness and degeneracy ? And, although 
the Church has never come up to the full measure of 
zeal and activity which it ought to have had, yet, im- 
perfect as it has been, it has nevertheless been the 
greatest factor in the progress that has been going on. 
Christianity, as we may infer from its past history, is 
inspiring and life-giving in its effects ; so that those who 
are brought under its influence are impelled, as it were, 
by the constraining love of Christ, to a life of earnest 
and unremitting efforts in its behalf. We see this beau- 
tifully illustrated in the apostles and their associates, 
who, as soon as their Master had ascended into heaven, 
went everywhere, in the face of the most cruel perse- 
cution, obloquy, and- reproach, with true missionary 
zeal, preaching the gospel of the kingdom. And so 
indefatigable and persistent were they in their efforts, 
that the new faith spread with astonishing rapidity in 
every part of the Roman Empire, and -even worked its 
way to the throne of the Caesars, in the course of a 
few centuries. And if we follow it in its progress to 
the present day, we will see that there has been no 
period in the history of the Church, not even in the 

Dark Ages, when its true light and glory were greatly 
I 3 



194 THE HISTORY OF 

obscured, when there has not been a great deal of zeal 
and activity for the spread of the gospel. And if we 
look around and see all that is being done at home and 
abroad, in Christian and heathen lands, for the con- 
version of the world to Christ, including the preaching 
of the gospel in thousands of pulpits on each returning 
Lord's Day, the instruction in the Sunday-school and 
family, the publication and circulation of the Bible and 
other religious books in the different languages of the 
earth, with the vast amount of missionary labor that is 
employed, we have one of the grandest sights upon 
which the eye can rest, and a sure guarantee of the 
speedy fulfillment of prophecy, which declares that the 
kingdoms of this world shall all be given to Christ, 
and that every knee shall bow to him, and every tongue, 
confess him to be Lord, to the glory of God the 
Father. 

Did the time allow, we might show, that as a father 
is honored by a dutiful son, a master by the respect of 
his servants, and a king by the esteem of his subjects, 
so Christ is glorified by the prompt, cheerful, hearty, 
and unreserved obedience of his disciples to all his 
commands, whatever they may be. But we must leave 
this and other thoughts to your own reflections, whilst 
we would merely add, that the appearance of Christians 
in the world is honoring to Christ, as it is altogether 
through him that they are such ; for it was his love that 
redeemed them ; his spirit that regenerated them ; his 
righteousness that justified them ; his grace that sus- 
tains and saves them ; his word that sanctifies and 
comforts them ; in short, all they have, and are, and 
hope to be, is due to him, and him alone. And when 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I95 

the labors and conflicts of life are over, and they appear 
in heaven, washed and redeemed from all their sins, 
he will then be glorified to the fullest extent, as they 
will all unite in that new song, which none but the 
spirits of the just can sing, "Unto him that loved us, 
and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath 
made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, 
to him be glory and dominion, forever and ever. " 

And now, my young friends, members of the Class 
of 1873, it only remains for me, in a few words, to urge 
upon you, by way of application, the duty of honoring 
Christ, who has the first and highest claim upon you, 
knowing, as we do, that just in proportion as you 
honor Christ will you honor us and the institution that 
has taken you into its fond embrace, and endeavored 
to start you on the highway to success and prosperity. 
You all have it in your power to make men and women 
of yourselves. God has given you talents which, if 
rightly improved, are sufficient to make your influence 
felt in any position you may occupy. The world also 
kindly invites you to enter the arena, and offers you its 
confidence and trust, provided you act worthy of your- 
selves and it. And if you fail, with all there is to 
urge you on to manly effort, your regret will be bitter 
over the loss you will sustain : 

"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, 
The saddest are these, 'It might have been.' " 

You will bear me witness that in all the instruction 
you have received whilst connected with the College, 
the professors have sought, both by precept and ex- 
ample, to excite in you the brightest hopes and loftiest 
anticipation, and if you now, on taking your leave of 



I96 THE HISTORY OF 

us, make it your constant endeavor to put into practi- 
cal effect what you have received, and build upon it 
as a foundation, we have no doubt but that success 
will perch itself upon your banner, and that life will 
be a comfort to you and a benefit to others. 

And now, as the relation that has existed between 
us, for several years, is soon to be severed, I desire to 
give special prominence to the thought to which I have 
often referred, so that you may never lose sight of it, 
but keep it before your eyes as the guiding star of 
your life, that if you would attain the true end of your 
being, you must seek to honor Christ in all you do. 
It is not for you, any more than for any one else, to 
thrust Christ aside, and attain true manhood indepen- 
dent of him. The attempt has been made again and 
again, and has failed as often as made. Skepticism 
and unbelief will give you poor comfort in the hour of 
need and trial, as many have found to their sorrow. 
Nor will anything the world has to offer meet the de- 
mands of your moral nature. In Jesus, and in him 
alone, is found wealth, honor, and pleasure, with all 
the soul can desire ; for 

"Should earth's vain treasures all depart 

Of this dear gift possessed ; 
I'd clasp it to my joyful heart, 

And be forever bless'd." 

The occasion is one of special interest to us all. It 
is, indeed, a grand sight to see a band of youth step 
out into the world to join the forces that are battling 
for the cause of Christ and humanity. There is a 
story told of Philopoemen, the last of the Greeks to 
which we may refer, that when he entered the theater 
at the celebration of the Nemean games, attended by 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 1 97 

a number of young men in their military cloaks and 
scarlet vests, that the audience was so impressed with 
the grandeur of the scene that they unconsciously 
arose to their feet and welcomed them with loud 
plaudits. So, I have no doubt, my young friends, 
that the congregation assembled here to-night turn 
their eyes to you with intense solicitude, and unite 
their prayers with ours, that Heaven's blessing may 
rest upon you as you enter a grander theater of action, 
than ever presented itself in the Nemean, or Olympic, 
games. And if you anxiously ask, as you take this 
step, 

" What shall I do to be forever known, 

Thy duty ever ? 
But this did full many who sleep unknown, 
Oh never, never, 
Think'st thou, perchance, that they remain unknown, 

Whom thou know'st not, 
By angel trumps in heaven their praise is blown, 
Divine their lot." 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Class of 1874. 



Names of Class 

Lewis Grosenbaugh, Classical, 
Charles F. Kriete, " 

Charles M. Schaaf, " . 

Simon Steffens, " 

Allen K. Zartman, " . 

Jessie Jellie, Scientific, 

Katie Stoner, " . 



Canton, Ohio. 
Franklin, Wis. 
Sandusky, Ohio. 
Lima, Ohio. 
Glenford, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Ft. Seneca, O. 



(198) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. I 99 

SERMON. 

" Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded." — Titus ii. 6. 

It has been well said that the Bible is the most won- 
derful of all books. Every view we can take of it, 
whether we consider the character of its contents, or 
the evidence with which it comes to us as a revelation 
from God, impresses us with its divinity, There is, 
in fact, no comparison between it and the Vedas, 
the Koran, or any of the writings of the sages of this 
world. 

The thought to which we would here refer, by way 
of introduction, is the wonderfully specific character of 
the Bible. It does not deal in vague generalities ; but 
addresses itself to every class in society, and gives the 
wisest and best counsels, which, if followed, are cal- 
culated to promote the highest good of all concerned. 
It speaks to kings and subjects, masters and servants, 
the high and low, the rich and poor, the bond and 
free, the young and old, the learned and unlearned, 
male and female. Yea, so specific is it in the instruc- 
tions it gives, that there is not a single phase of society 
or condition in life that is overlooked. There is some- 
thing for each and for all, so that it contains a treasure 
of more value than all the gold of Ophir, or the most 
precious gems that have ever been dug out of the 
earth. Surely a Book of such wonderful comprehen- 
siveness and particularity must be from God, with 
whom is all wisdom and knowledge. 

In the chapter from which my text is taken, we 
have a forcible illustration of this particular feature of 
the Bible, in that we hear Paul say to Titus, his own 
son in the faith, "Speak thou the things which be- 



200 THE HISTORY OF 

come sound doctrine; that the aged men be sober, 
grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in pa- 
tience. The aged women likewise, that they be in 
behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not 
given to much wine, teachers of good things; that 
they may teach the young women to be sober, to 
love their husbands, to love their children, to be dis- 
creet, obedient to their own husbands, that the word 
of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise ex- 
hort to be sober-minded. " 

In these few verses we have a rich cluster of the 
practical duties which grow out of the common rela- 
tions which we sustain to each other, which, for clear- 
ness, simplicity, conciseness, and good common sense, 
can not be surpassed, if, indeed, equaled, upon which 
volumes might be written without exhausting their 
meaning. 

The circumstances under which we have met to- 
night naturally suggest the propriety of the counsel 
here addressed to young men to be sober-minded. The 
simple fact, that these words contain all that Paul de- 
sired Titus to impress upon young men, is sufficient of 
itself to show that he regarded them as comprehend- 
ing all that the peculiarity of their situation required. 
For, if they are sober-minded in the sense in which 
the Apostle uses the term, they may be said to pos- 
sess, in themselves and in the habits they have formed, 
such strength and power as will enable them to resist 
the temptations of life, and stand firm in the great 
struggle in which we are all called to engage. 

Let us, first of all, consider what we are to under- 
stand by sober-mindedness in its relation to the young. 
Every age and period of life has its peculiar phase 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 201 

and characteristic. As light reflected through glass 
of different colors is shaded differently, so the various 
periods of life have their peculiarities by which one 
may be distinguished from the other. Youth, with 
all its fire and ardor, may not be expected to move 
with the same caution and gravity which we ordinarily 
expect of those who are advanced in life. We may 
indeed say, that all the graces which adorn and beau- 
tify the Christian are more or less modified by the 
age and temperament of those who possess them. 
As no two stars shine with the same luster, and no 
two faces are exactly alike, notwithstanding the close 
resemblance they have to each other, so we find an 
endless variety in every department of life. Hence, 
when we speak of sober-mindedness in its relation to 
the young, although the same as to its elements, or 
component parts, with that of those more advanced 
in life, it is, nevertheless, differently shaded and modi- 
fied. And yet, modified as it may be, by all that is 
peculiar to each period of life, it is still necessary for 
all, and especially for the young, so that Paul, in 
writing to Titus, could say, " Young men likewise ex- 
hort to be sober-minded. " 

What, then, is it to be sober-minded? Many an- 
swers may be given to this question, which, although 
differently worded, must, after all, possess substan- 
tially the same meaning, which we may define as 
soundness and integrity of mind, or as that state in 
which its powers and activities are kept in balance, so 
that each performs its appropriate work without any 
injury, or wrong to the others. The mind, although a 
simple, spiritual entity, unfolds itself in a variety of 
operations. There is, indeed, no such thing as set- 



202 THE HISTORY OF 

ting bounds to its activities ; for, whether we view it 
as the intellect, and follow it in all its efforts to know 
and apprehend the truth; or consider the sensibili- 
ties, and attempt to enumerate the desires, pleasures, 
appetites, passions, hopes, and fears, of which it is 
susceptible ; or if we contemplate it in its elective 
capacity, balancing and weighing motives, sometimes 
deciding in one, way and then in another, we are 
amazed at its wonderful pliability, and the great 
variety of operations of which it is susceptible. Un- 
folding and developing itself, therefore, in such a mul- 
tiplicity of forms, sober-mindedness becomes one of 
the first requisites ; for, if there be no restraint, or 
healthful regulation of these various activities and 
powers, all must, of necessity, result in confusion and 
anarchy. Man has been fearfully as well as wonder- 
fully made; and is just as capable, when under the 
influence of passion and wild excitement, of produc- 
ing misery and wretchedness, as he is of producing 
the opposite results, when under the guidance and 
control of reason. As the body is always injured, 
and its health and vigor impaired, whenever any un- 
due prominence is given to one or more of its mem- 
bers, so, in like manner, the health, the vigor, and 
soundness of the mind can be preserved and main- 
tained only by a proper regulation and direction of all 
its powers. To be sober-minded, therefore, is to keep 
the activities of the soul properly balanced, so that 
each and every power may act in concert with all the 
rest without producing any friction, or disturbance in 
its appropriate work. Sober-mindedness may also be 
defined as evenness of mind, calmness and self-posses- 
sion, looking upon things quietly as they are, without 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 203 

becoming excited on the one hand, or sinking into 
despondency and apathy on the other — doing with 
all our might the work God has given us ; or, to ex- 
press it in other words, we would say that sober- 
mindedness, in its relation to the young, is the union 
of the seriousness and gravity of age with the joy- 
ousness and hilarity of youth. As thus defined, it is 
neither light-mindedness nor sternness, it is neither 
frivolity nor stoicism ; but a calm, dignified self-pos- 
session of mind — a quality of rare excellence, and of 
essential importance to true manhood. 

As thus viewed, sober-mindedness is something very 
different from melancholy, taciturnity, or moroseness. 
God never designed, in the creation of man, or in the 
wise and happy arrangement he has made of every- 
thing around us, that any of his creatures should pass 
their time upon earth under a load of sorrow and de- 
jection of spirit; nor is there anything in Christianity, 
when rightly understood, that is calculated to lessen 
our joys and comforts. This world, although resting 
under the curse of sin, in consequence of which it 
groans under the accumulated load of suffering and 
distress, with which it is filled, has, notwithstanding 
all this, much to alleviate and make comfortable the 
condition of man. Wherever we look around us, we 
see much that is indicative of happiness and pleasure. 
The birds warble their sweet note with the greatest 
apparent glee as they fly from tree to tree ; the bees 
hum as they gather their honey ; the lambs skip with 
playful sport upon the hills and in the meadows; the 
herds graze upon the plains ; the winds whistle, and 
the brooks sparkle with joy as thpy glide along by our 
side. Yea, all nature gives signs of joy and gladness 



204 THE HISTORY OF 

as it pursues the even tenor of its way. Why, then, 
should man, the noblest of all the works of God, not 
go with a cheerful and uplifted countenance, and with 
a heart full of joy, as he pursues his earthly pilgrimage? 
When God created man, and made him lord over the 
fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, and the 
fishes of the sea, he designed that everything should 
be made to contribute to his happiness and well-being. 
Of all the creatures, therefore, which God has formed, 
and of which there is such an endless variety, man, 
who alone is endowed with reason, and is capable of 
extracting honey from the prickly thorn, as well as 
from the sweet-scented rose, has the least excuse for 
being melancholy and dejected, as though his bur- 
den were greater than he could bear. And when the 
Apostle, in my text, exhorted young men to be sober- 
minded, he had not the most distant idea of asso- 
ciating with the virtue here enjoined anything like 
gloominess or sadness of heart. Let all such views of 
life, then, as would cast a gloom and shadow over it, 
as though all its pleasures were bitter, and its enjoy- 
ments a mockery, be abandoned, and let each and 
every one gather all the flowers, and drink in all the 
pleasures which the beneficent Author of our being 
has so richly provided for us. 

Nor are we, again, to suppose that the cultivation 
and practice of the virtue that is enjoined upon the 
young in my text would make it in the least neces- 
sary to withdraw from the world, and live the life of 
an ascetic, or monk. Of all the cowards that move 
upon the face of the earth, those are the greatest who 
roam in solitude, with their lips closed, or shut them- 
selves up in the gloomy cells of a cloister or monas- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 205 

tery, without even breathing the pure air of heaven, 
lest they be polluted by their contact with the world. 
Such views of life must necessarily be degrading to 
those who entertain them, and the virtue, if such 
there can be, in such seclusion and taciturnity, has 
more resemblance to the cold and heartless granite, 
than to the warm and sympathetic nature with which 
God has endowed us. 

There is surely no merit in putting on a sad coun- 
tenance, or in maintaining a grave look, when, by so 
doing, we are suppressing the promptings and doing 
violence to the social nature with which God has en- 
dowed us. You are not, therefore, to suppose, my 
young friends, that in being sober-minded you are to 
have no contact or communion with the w r orld, or 
that you are to extirpate, if it were possible for you 
to do so, the sympathies, the desires, the hopes, the 
fears, the passions, which make you what you are, 
and that you are to sit in solitude and live for your- 
self alone. It was for a noble object that God gave 
you a place here in the world, and endowed you with 
a social nature, by which you are compelled, if true 
to yourself, to hold daily intercourse with those who 
are of like passions and feelings with yourself. All 
that is necessary, in so doing, is to be true men and 
women; to let reason and judgment, not passion, 
have the ascendency; to keep the body under, and 
bring its appetites, desires, and inclinations in subjec- 
tion; to hold in check whatever is wrong and sinful; 
and to direct and regulate every feeling and emotion 
of the heart, so that you may steadily go forward in 
the way which duty calls, just as a ship, under the 
guidance of a wise and skillful pilot, sails quietly into 



206 THE HISTORY OF 

the harbor, avoiding the quicksands and rocks which 
threaten it on every side. 

To sum up all in a few words, I would say that to 
be sober-minded is to have seriousness without de- 
spondency, cheerfulness without levity, dignity with- 
out austerity, fullness without excess, zeal without 
fanaticism, pleasure without sensuality, ardor without 
excitement; in short, it is so to blend and regulate 
all the feelings, desires, emotions, and activities of 
the mind as to make them work together for one 
common end and purpose, viz: the glory of God and 
the highest good of humanity. 

And can any one doubt the importance of a virtue 
like this? It is, indeed, one of the main requisites 
to success in life. It is like the mainspring in a 
watch, upon which everything else is depending. If 
this be impaired or broken, every other part, how- 
ever good in itself, fails to perform its office. No 
wonder, therefore, that the Apostle looked upon this 
as comprehending everything which the peculiarity 
of the condition of the young required, saying, as 
he does in my text, " Young men likewise exhort to be 
sober-minded." 

There is much in the situation and character of 
the young which makes this virtue of great import- 
ance to them. Youth, above all other times, is the 
one in which we are most likely to be carried away 
with excitement and impulse. It is the period in 
which the greatest number of air-castles and Utopian 
visions are formed. Then the world looks bright, 
and nothing seems impossible to youthful fire and 
imagination. The labors of a Hercules, or the ex- 
ploits of a Robinson Crusoe, are nothing to what 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 20*J 

they will do when once they enter fully upon the 
theater of life. The slow plodding of their fathers 
looks too much like old fogyism to let the world 
continue to move at this rate when they have the 
direction and management of its affairs. It was thus 
that the classic Melancthon thought when he set out 
upon his first tour to preach the gospel; but soon 
found, to his sorrow, that the old Adam was too 
strong for the young Melancthon, and was content 
to take a more sober view of life. 

Youth, too, as we all know, is the time in which 
there is the greatest danger of running to excess. 
Not having had much experience of the sorrows and 
disappointments of life, and not having suffered many 
of the bitter fruits of excess and indulgence, they do 
not see the need of the caution and self-denial so ur- 
gently recommended to them by those of riper years. 
They, therefore, resolve to take a more liberal view 
of things; to drink deeper into the pleasures of the 
world ; to cast aside all gloomy views of life ; and to 
enjoy the world to the fullest extent, feeling sure that 
to-morrow shall be as to-day. Paul, seeing the great 
danger there is of running to excess amid all tire 
heat and fire and inexperience of youth, exhorted 
the young men of his day, as we now do, to be sober- 
minded. 

There is, also, much propriety in the exhortation of 
my text, when we remember that youth is the form- 
ative period of life. There are few persons whose 
habits, principles, and pursuits are not, to a very 
great extent, determined by the time they reach the 
period of majority. This is a fast world in which 
we live. The body develops and attains its full 



208 THE HISTORY OF 

stature at an early period, and so does the mind 
under the excellent system of educational training 
which it is the privilege of all to enjoy. A young 
man, or lady, who has no fixed habits or well-formed 
purpose of life with the close of the period of youth 
will not very likely attain a high mark in the world. 
Youth being the period in which our nature is the 
most susceptible to the impressions that are made 
upon it receives, as a general thing, the mold or 
cast of the whole future life. Just as true as it is, 
that the tree is bent as the twig was inclined, so 
surely does the later period of life receive its shape 
and character from the impress that was made upon 
it in youth. If this formative period has been well 
and wisely spent in laying a foundation for future 
usefulness, broad and deep; if principles and habits 
of sobriety, temperance, and Christianity have been 
formed and put in practice, it requires no prophet to 
predict the future of a life so auspiciously begun ; 
whereas, if the opposite course has been pursued, 
and no restraint has been put upon the corrupt de- 
sires, lust, and passions of the heart, so that they 
have had free scope and play, running from one ex- 
cess of riot and sinful indulgence to another, the 
downward course of such a life is inevitable, unless 
prevented by the restraining grace of God. Too 
much importance can not, therefore, be attached to 
the period of youth, as that which, in the great ma- 
jority of instances, gives character and complexion 
to the entire subsequent life. It was, doubtless, for 
this reason that Paul singled out from the cluster of 
Christian virtues that of sober-mindedness, and en- 
joined it with so much earnestness upon the young, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 2CX) 

knowing full well that if it were formed and put into 
practice at this important period of life, it would give 
such strength, power, and protection to its possessor 
as would make him comparatively safe amid all the 
dangers, temptations, and besetments of the world. 

Such now being the importance of a sober mind, it 
may not be amiss to make some remarks as to how it 
may be attained. Experience teaches us that every- 
thing good and excellent in this world is difficult to 
obtain, and of slow growth. There is not a single 
virtue or possession that is worth having that does not 
require the most rigid discipline and patient labor on 
our part. Men do not ordinarily come into the pos- 
session of a large fortune ; scale the rugged hill of 
science ; walk through the different departments of the 
temple of truth ; unravel the mysteries of nature ; 
understand and solve the difficult problems of science ; 
advance the arts ; or reach the high positions of trust 
and responsibility in life except by much hard brain- 
work and physical labor. Nor is there any exception 
in regard to the attainment of a sober mind. Consid- 
ering what a fearful derangement sin has made in our 
moral constitution, and how much there is in the 
world around us to unbalance the mind, it requires a 
great deal of care, prudence, and calculation to guard 
against the dangers and quicksands that threaten us on 
every side. Many of the most gifted and talented of 
our race have, for the want of this, gone down to prem- 
ature and dishonored graves. Oh, it is sad as we go 
along the journey of life, to see what wrecks lie scat- 
tered on either side of those who have fallen by the 
way ! How, then, is a question of the deepest interest 

to us all, and especially to those just setting out in the 
14 



2IO THE HISTORY OF 

world, may we acquire a sober and well-balanced 
mind, and so be able to steer our course safely amid the 
tempestuous shoals of life ? In answering this ques- 
tion, I would remark, first of all, that sobriety of mind 
stands most intimately connected with that of the body. 
Psychologists and anthropologists, who have devoted 
much study to the subject, tell us that the relation 
between the material and immaterial part of our being 
is of such an intimate character that they mutually 
condition each other. So well, indeed, is this under- 
stood that it has become a common saying, that a 
sound, healthy and well-developed body is an essential 
requisite to a sound mind. The body being the 
dwelling-place of the soul, it requires no logical acu- 
men to see, that if it has become debased and enerva- 
ted by a sinful indulgence in whatever is sordid, and 
low, and groveling, that it will, of necessity, drag the 
soul with it in the mire of its filth and pollution ; and 
that, whilst the soul is thus fettered and trammeled in 
the meshes of sensuality and dissipation, it is shorn of 
its native strength and vigor, and has no power left to 
rise out of its helplessness. There can, indeed, be no 
doubt but that a life of sensuality, dissipation, and 
intemperance has a most blighting and withering effect 
upon the soul, and is doing more to destroy the youth 
of the present day than any other single form of sin. 
And when we remember the vast number that are 
every year stripped of their manhood and hurried to a 
drunkard's grave, we can very readily understand why 
there has been such a wave of indignation rolling over 
our land against those who are engaged in the man- 
ufacture, sale, and use of ardent spirits. And our 
prayer is, that God may speed the day when this mon- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 211 

ster evil shall be so fully torn up, in root and branch, 
that there shall not be a remnant left to spread any 
more desolation in the earth. 

Would you then, my young friends, know how you 
may possess and maintain a sober mind, I would say, 
cherish and foster with the greatest care these bodies 
which God has given you as the habitation of the soul. 
Do yourselves no harm physically. Avoid every form 
of excess and sinful indulgence, even though it may 
be pleasant for the moment. Guard against every 
form of sensuality, lust, or passion, however enticing 
it may be to the flesh, being fully convinced that every 
wrong you do here, is an injury done to your higher 
nature, making it exceedingly difficult to maintain that 
equilibrium and balance of the powers of the mind 
necessary to its strength and vigor. 

In close and intimate connection with such moder- 
ation and temperance, I would next urge, as of great 
importance to sobriety of mind, a proper exercise and 
discipline of all its powers. A great mistake, made 
by many young persons, is the prevalent disposition to 
study and do only what they like, and what they have 
a strong inclination for, the result of which is, they 
have no breadth of comprehension or stability of char- 
acter. Their education is one-sided and imperfect. 
They become men and women of one idea, and can 
hardly ever stick to the same thing for any length of 
time. Sometimes they are in favor of one notion or 
profession, and then of another, and never become 
proficient or settled in any. Their life is a miserable 
failure, in passing from one thing to another, without 
permanently settling down to anything, so as to make 
a life-work out of it. What we want, therefore, in 



212 THE HISTORY OF 

order to sobriety of mind, is such a culture of all its 
powers as will develop it in a symmetrical and harmo- 
nious way, and thus give it such strength as will enable 
it to resist and overcome whatever is wrong, and 
choose that which is right and well-pleasing in the sight 
of God and men. 

In compliance with an old and good custom, it be- 
comes my duty, young gentlemen and ladies, in the 
name of the Faculty, to address a few parting counsels 
to you. The relation that has existed between us for 
the last few years has been a pleasant and intimate 
one, so that the ties which bind us together are very 
close and tender. There are, perhaps, no ties outside 
of the family more sacred and endearing than those 
which are formed in our colleges and institutions of 
learning. Young gentlemen and ladies coming to- 
gether, from different parts of the country, soon learn 
to know and esteem each other, and form such ties of 
friendship, which neither adversity nor distance can 
break. I am glad to know that the relation which you 
sustain to the Faculty and your fellow-students is of 
this pleasant nature, so that we can not but regret the 
necessity which now separates us, as you step out of 
the College into the more active duties of life. 

We have given you many counsels and instructions 
under a great variety of forms, since you have been 
under our care and tuition. Our chief desire has been 
to fit you, in an eminent degree, for the responsible 
duties of life. Where we may have failed in doing 
the full measure of our duty, we request you to throw 
the mantle of charity over it, and remember without 
ceasing all in our instruction, that has been calculated 
to excite high and holy aspirations, and to act well 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 213 

your part in life, that you may be an honor to your 
Alma Mater and a blessing to the world. 

Cultivate and endeavor to keep in constant exercise 
the virtue of sober-mindedness, of which I have spoken. 
Do not allow yourselves, in the great battle of life, to 
become unduly excited on the one hand, or discour- 
aged on the other, but go forward with a calm and 
well-balanced mind, doing what God and duty call 
you to. Fill well the first places you may be called 
to occupy. Do not be unduly anxious for promotion, 
as God will open up a way for greater usefulness as 
you are prepared for it. Act well your part, for here- 
after all lies the greatest honor. Imitate, and if possi- 
ble, excel the virtues of those who have gone before 
you, remembering that the 

"Lives of good men, all remind you, 
You can make your lives sublime; 
And departing, leave behind you, 
Footprints on the sands of time — 
Footprints that perhaps another, 
Sailing o'er life's solemn main — 
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, 
Seeing, may take heart again." 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON, 

Preached at the request of the President by Rev H. M. 
Herman, President of the Board of Trustee s y 

TO THE 



Class of 1875. 



Names of Class 



Jon. C. H. Elder, Classical, 
Milton F. Frank, " . 

Jerome B. Henry, " 

Emil Herbruck, " . 

James H. Platt, " 

J. W. Shaufelberger " . 

John S. Stoner, " 

FrED'k. J. SOURBIER " . 

Edward D. Wettach " 
Frank C. Withoff, " . 
Scott F. Hershey, Scientific, 
LiBBiE A. Conrad, " . 
Hattie Haywood, " 
Jennie Heckerman, " . 
Imogene Miller, " 

Rebecca A. Poe, " . 

Mary E. Sherman, " 
Celesta Stoner, " . 

(214) 



Fostoria, Ohio. 
Lake, Ohio. 

West Alexandria, O. 

Canton, Ohio. 

Tiffin, Ohio. 

Fostoria, Ohio. 

Canton, Ohio. 

Columbia, Pa. 

Lake, Ohio. 

Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Colburn, Indiana. 

Canton, Ohio. 

Tiffin, Ohio. 

Tiffin, Ohio. 

Tiffin, Ohio. 

Navarre, Ohio. 

Mexico, Ohio. 

Fort Seneca, Ohio. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 215 



SERMON. 



"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." 
I Cor. xvi. 13. 

It will require no argument to show the appropriate- 
ness of the advice here given ; for no matter what may 
be the calling or sphere in which any one may be 
placed, if he would be successful, and leave the world 
a legacy of good and noble deeds ; if he would attain 
a high and honorable position in life ; in short, if he 
would even approximate the end and design of his 
Creator, he must comply with the conditions laid down 
in the text which may be rendered, Be watchful, stand 
firm in the faith, be manful, and stout-hearted, which 
are the essential elements of success in every depart- 
ment of life. Ignore or disregard them, and failure 
will follow with unerring certainty, as is abundantly 
proven by the history of the past. 

That the mass of mankind act contrary to the ex- 
hortation of the Apostle is apparent to all, and it is 
for this reason that we have the failures and disasters 
that are so common among men. The issues of life 
are solemn and momentous. Every activity of our 
nature must be brought into lively exercise in order 
that we may attain the end of our being. Created a 
little lower than the angels, we possess powers and 
attributes which are godlike in their nature, and must 
be properly directed, or disaster will be sure to follow. 

When man was created, he was invested with the 
high prerogative of a sovereign, the king of all the 
earth. All created beings constituted his kingdom, 
and were subject to his command. He was also highly 
favored in his own person, even beyond our conception. 



2l6 THE HISTORY OF 

There were no pains, aches, or fearful looking toward 
the uncertain future; for the future, in his original 
state, was as bright as the present. There was no 
death, for "the King of Terrors" had not yet entered 
the sacred retreat of man's primeval home. The 
world was then in a state of happiness and unalloyed 
peace. The heavens above and the earth beneath 
conspired to make him happy, and bring out from the 
very depth of his soul the anthem of praise and 
thanksgiving. Yet how great the change ! Behold, 
how altered and blasted are all things on earth now ; 
man a bondsman, robbed of all his pristine glory and 
beauty, a creature of the dust, subject to pain, disease 
and death ; his heart has become a battle-field, and his 
spul filled with anguish and remorse. The very heav- 
ens have assumed a threatening aspect, and the earth 
is ready to swallow him up. The king has become a 
subject, under the rule of a relentless foe. Man is in 
darkness, fear chains his footsteps, and ruin and rescue 
are alike concealed in the dark future. Death, the 
arch enemy of humanity, is doing his appropriate 
work. He has slain the countless millions of the past, 
filled the earth with groans and sighs, turned beauty 
into ashes, life into death, and bids fair to carry on 
his work of desolation until the last remnant of mor- 
tality is swept from the face of the earth. Remorse- 
less destroyer, the last cheek shall pale, the last heart 
shall cease to throb, the last of humanity shall expe- 
rience the cold chill touch of the rewards of sin. Why 
all this ? Surely not because the Creator so decreed it 
in an absolute sense. God intended that man should 
glorify and praise him — should live above and beyond 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 217 

all that could make him afraid. This is evident from 
the subsequent events which appear in the unfolding 
of the great plan of redemption from the terrible state 
into which man had fallen, and in which he now 
actually exists. 

God does not trifle. He is not an unfeeling tyrant, 
but a loving Father, who takes no delight in the 
sorrows of his creatures. How glorious his benevolent 
character shines in the initial step of man's rescue! 

On the very day, as it were, when the whole earth 
received the shock, when a dark funeral pall was cast 
over the earth and the heavens, God came to man, 
not in v/rath or judgment, and said, kindly, lovingly: 
Do not despair, I will prepare a way for your escape. 
"The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's 
head." I will furnish an antidote to all the ills and 
sorrows now impending. What a glorious display of 
the divine attribute of love ! And from the threshold 
of the primeval home, from the first beating, throbbing 
"heart of anguish" down through the long avenues 
of the ages until the present day, has our Father'heen 
true to the promise. 

God did not create to destroy. He did not hurl 
man, with unfeeling rage or fiendish delight, from his 
high and holy estate, for he has no pleasure in the 
death of his creatures. 

Prior to this sad state of things God warned man 
of his precarious estate — only one limitation was 
placed as the boundary line beyond which he dared 
not go. Everything else was at his disposal, save the 
fruit of the tree of life. To eat of that was to die. 
Man was a free agent, with his moral, mental and 



2l8 THE HISTORY OF 

physical powers fully developed. Forewarned with 
the fearful consequences of disobedience plainly set 
before him, he was left free to act — The day thou eatest 
thereof thou shalt surely die. The fruit of the tree and 
the warning were all he saw or heard. The influencing 
power was as yet invisible. Danger had not yet been 
realized in a tangible form. The admonition of Heaven, 
"Eat not of the forbidden fruit," argued danger, and 
implied the necessity of watchfulness — implicit faith in 
the truth of the word of God, manly resistance to every 
incentive to violate the command, so far as even to taste, 
or touch the forbidden fruit. The fruit may have been 
beautiful to behold ; its fragrance enchanting and the 
desire to taste intense; every appeal to the carnal 
senses and appetite may have been strong and power- 
ful, yet the means of resistance were at hand : Thou 
shalt not implied ability not to do so. Courage and 
manly heroism in obeying the law of Heaven were 
requisite. Methinks I can hear God, with all the 
eloquence and power of divinity, say to man, Watch, 
be strong, and stand fast in the faith. 

It was the violation of this command that entailed 
the loss of the glories of an Eden home, laid prostrate 
the true glory of man, turned this beautiful earth into a 
vast wilderness, filled with thorns and thistles — aye, 
changed the peaceful habitation of man into one vast 
battle-field, and is the legitimate source of all the 
sorrow, affliction, pain, and death that has and will exist 
in the earth. The funeral knell of humanity was 
sounded — the roll-call of the dead had begun to be 
sounded in the land — years of sadness and desolation 
rolled around — God, in pity and love, pleaded with 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 2ig 

i 

man ; his call was heard, but few heeded. Danger 
threatened, yet onward the mass moved like madmen 
to death and destruction. The bitter fruit of dis- 
obedience to this law was to be tasted once more. 
Heaven determined to plead no longer, but to give 
the striking and appalling lesson in contrast. Univer- 
sal destruction was to be meted out to humanity. Yet 
a limit here was set — Be watchful, be faithful, quit 
you like men, aitd be of good courage. A life-boat was 
to be launched on the turbid waters. Have faith in 
the remedy, and lay hold of it, and persevere with manly 
heroism, and you shall be saved. One of the ten 
thousand heeded and acted, and after a season of 
patient waiting, earnest effort, and heroism in resisting 
every evil, with faith in the truth of the word of God, 
the victory was achieved. One hundred and twenty 
years of earnest life, in the Master's service, ended in 
a victory and triumph unparalleled in the world's 
history. God again moved upon the waters. He 
opened the fountains of the great deep — onward sped 
the besom of destruction until the last refuge of hu- 
manity was destroyed — until the last man of that 
innumerable army of the heedless and unfaithful 
and cowardly race was swallowed up in awful de- 
struction. 

There was a lesson in contrast — one man and his 
family — a man of God, and a faithful man — a man in 
the true sense of that word — was led into the ark. 
God led him thither, and when he had entered into 
it, God himself closed the door, and placed upon it 
the seal of his approbation, in language like unto 
this : * ' Well done, thou good and faithful servant : 



220 THE HISTORY OF 

Thou art saved, " God had not made an absolute 
decree of destruction upon the antediluvian world. 
Their safety was possible; they might have heeded, 
as well as heard the word of God. That they did 
hear the word of God is evident from the fact that 
they laughed and mocked at righteous Noah whilst 
he was engaged in preparing the ark. They saw no 
signs of impending danger — God's word was all they 
heard. Like the world to-day, they recognized a 
God — a First Great Cause — but further than that 
they did not go. True, the word declared, Be 
watchful, be faithful, quit you like men, be of good 
courage, be strong, yet, like fools, they lived, adopting 
the motto, "Eat, drink, and be merry," marrying 
and giving in marriage. Onward they went toward 
the dark and terrible hour of destruction, rushing, 
like madmen, into the blackness and darkness whilst 
the blaze of gospel glory was shining in splendor 
around them. They may have been highly cultured 
— learned to the fullest extent — men of genius and 
refinement, but were ignorant of the first principle 
of true manhood, which consists in a true and devout 
reverence for God. Their disobedience culminated 
in their awful destruction. From that time down to 
the present God has spoken the same clear and ex- 
plicit command. He has placed life and death before 
us. He has declared, in language clear and forcible, 
the whole duty of man ; has warned and entreated, 
made the conditions easy and simple, and yet the 
world moves on, as it did, in the days of righteous 
Noah. 

Destruction is set before man to-day, not only at 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 221 

the end of his career, but all along life's pathway : 
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper" is the 
edict of Heaven. How many are there who vainly 
imagine that their high standing in the world, their 
rare mental endowments, superior education, wealth 
and honors, will secure them a successful career in 
life ! But we need not remind you of the fact, that 
none of these things, nor all of them combined, can 
render life a success unaccompanied by Heaven's 
benediction. Dives may have had all these, while 
poor, friendless and suffering Lazarus was a nobler, 
better and happier man than he — his life a grander 
success than that of the more highly favored in the 
world's estimation. 

Solomon, the wisest of men, and also great in 
every earthly good, sought in vain the world around 
for the highest point of earthly glory, and yet he 
was constrained to write the world's epitaph, Vanity 
of vanities. But in the same breath he strikes the 
key-note to all true and manly attainments, saying, 
" Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is 
the whole duty of man." What was true then is 
true now. God is ever the same ; everything else 
may change, but God never. If this be true, then, 
we may infer that what followed disobedience in the 
past is sure to do so in the present, and in all time to 
come. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. What- 
soever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. If he 
sow to the flesh, he shall of the flesh reap corruption ; 
but if he sow to the Spirit, he shall of the Spirit reap 
life everlasting." If so, " watch, stand fast in the 
faith, quit you like men, be strong" 



222 THE HISTORY OF 

Members of the class of 1875, you are about to 
leave the hallowed retreat of your Alma Mater. 
Here you have spent years in the pursuit of knowl- 
edge. Here you have, in a measure, been shut out 
from the world, and have formed a community of 
individuals engaged in the same pursuit, with the 
same object and aim in view. Here you have strug- 
gled hard for those attainments which will best fit 
you for life's struggles and victories. Here you have 
met and sang praises together, and knelt at one 
common altar. Here you have had capable and 
faithful instructors, who have guided you safely and 
successfully along the entire way, sympathizing with 
you in your sorrows, relieving you in your distresses, 
encouraging you in your trials, guiding, directing, 
assisting you at every turn ; with the fondness of 
parents, they have watched over you, and with anx- 
ious solicitude they will follow you through all your 
life. 

You are about to leave home, the dear old College 
home! What memories linger around the threshold ! 
You are about to leave these sacred retreats to. return 
no more. The last roll has been called, and you 
will answer no more to the dear old bell, as it sends 
forth its welcome peal. Here you met, labored, and 
struggled together, each one ready and willing to 
help and counsel the other. Now, dear young 
friends, you must go alone. You go out from this 
place each one to do battle with life's realities alone. 
Solemn thought ! The best wishes and prayers of 
your Alma Mater will ever attend you. But, like 
Noah of old, you must enter upon life amidst a mul- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 223 

titude of cares and discouragements, all alone. Like 
Paul, at Corinth, or Athens, you must stem the cur- 
rent of ignorance, superstition, and sin at every step 
of life. To do this effectually, what better advice or 
parting words can I give you than those of apostolic 
authority, * ' Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit 
you like men, be strong T\ 

The Apostle regarded this advice necessary for the 
faithful members of his Church at Corinth. He had 
labored earnestly in establishing the Church there 
amidst the many vices and iniquities of that people. 
Hated and despised, persecuted and defamed, be- 
trayed and forsaken — he had labored among them, 
turning neither to the right nor the left. He labored 
for their good. Even after a congregation had been 
gathered, many of them turned back to their former 
sins, and disgraced their professions. Evil influences 
had their sad results. A few were found faithful — 
endured the storm of infidelity and antinomianism. 
To these the Apostle affectionately speaks, encoura- 
ging them to be faithful in order to attain the crown, 
saying, watch ye, which implies that there was danger 
lest they, too, might be drawn back. 

You are now fully equipped for life's work. Your 
habits of industry have been formed, and your minds 
stored with useful knowledge. You should stand 
firm and fixed in the principles of the institution 
from which you now go out to the world's activities. 
Your hour of danger is approaching. Your first foe 
may be the idea that you have learned all that is to 
be known, or is worth knowing. Be not deceived : 
you are now only prepared to learn. Should you 



224 THE HISTORY OF 

cease to apply yourselves, you will soon be in the 
rear of the onward march of the faithful. Infidelity, 
rationalism, and kindred evils will surround, outstrip, 
and overcome you. Watch ye. A thousand agen- 
cies will be brought to bear against you, which you 
have never thought of. The world may appear beau- 
tiful and enchanting now; so no doubt the garden of 
Eden did to our first parents; but it was just in the 
midst of that beautiful place where they experienced 
the saddest and most terrible overthrow the history 
of humanity has ever recorded. The citizens of 
Sodom had their highest joys and brightest anticipa- 
tions within the walls of their beautiful city, yet, it 
was within these very walls where they suffered the 
most terrible destruction. So it will be in this seem- 
ingly beautiful world that lies before you, where you 
will be called upon to meet the foe, and where you 
will conquer or be conquered. The foe will approach 
you, not in the garb of the lion, but in the meeker 
form of the lamb, and not as a foe, but as a friend. 
Idleness may promise you much, but rest assured, if 
you heed its suggestions, you will suffer disgrace in 
the end. Pride will also be a sure precursor of dis- 
grace — "for he that exalteth himself shall be abased" 
No matter what may be your calling, remember that 
it is only by an unswerving adherence to right and 
truth, that you will win success. Watch ye> and turn 
neither to the right nor the left. 

Ambition y although good in itself, is nevertheless a 
dangerous element in life. Tens of thousands have 
been slain by it ; the brighest prospects have been 
blighted, and life ended in absolute failure. Do not 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 225 

forget that Paul had attained the highest glory of his 
life when he said, ' * / have learned that in whatsoever 
state I am therewith to be content." Watch with a 
careful eye the approach of every evil. No lawful 
calling can degrade a man who is no't self-degraded. 
Faith and trust in God will make the humblest life a 
success. Saul sat on the throne of Israel, and as long 
as he was content to sit there with God, all was well, 
but when he forgot God, he fell into madness and 
folly which resulted in his final ruin. 

Daniel and his three companions were carried into 
captivity, but they carried God with them where they 
went, and neither fire could harm the one, nor the 
lions devour the other. And God made their cap- 
tivity redound to their advancement and honor. 
\ ' Whosoever zvill put his trust in the Lord shall want 
no good thing \" Watch, therefore, that you do not 
forget God. Remember him in all your ways. To 
all such the Savior says, " Ye believe in God, believe 
also in me" God, through Christ, promises to give 
all needed good to those who ask of him, and assures 
all who believe in him that he will never leave or for- 
sake them. He calls upon you not to be afraid when 
you go out to do battle in the world, saying, "/ 
have overcome the world" 

You have been taught this doctrine by your Alma 
Mater. You have been pointed to Jesus as the way, 
the truth, and the life. Watch, therefore, that you do 
not depart from this rule in your intercourse with the 
world. " Stand fast in the faith " which teaches us 
the real value of things. Faith removes the tinsel 
and exposes the emptiness and vanity of the things 
15 



226 THE HISTORY OF 

around us. Without this blessed gift, men walk in 
a vain show — are deceived, and end at last in de- 
struction. Hence Paul exhorted the Corinthian 
Christians to stand fast in the faith. Who is he that 
overcometh but he that believeth that Jesus is the 
Christ ? 

The College represented here was solemnly conse- 
crated to this blessed faith. Throughout your suc- 
cessive stages of advancement you were pointed to 
Jesus Christ as the center and source of all true man- 
hood. Without the saving and sanctifying influences 
of this faith, you are sadly deficient in the elements 
necessary to your advancement in life, be your call- 
ing what it may. 

Like the Corinthian Christians, you will be assailed 
with enemies of a formidable character on every hand. 
Human nature is now what it was then. The same 
arch-enemy is on the alert for man's destruction, and 
for your overthrow. We would not anticipate your 
downfall, yet multitudes have ended in disgrace who 
were as highly favored as you. It was so in Corinth. 
It has been so in every age of the world. A few of 
the many in that city attained a glorious end, and 
were crowned with enduring honors. Faith in the 
Lord Jesus Christ alone saved them. It alone will 
save you. The apostolic admonition was heeded, and 
the blessing followed : " Quit you like men" — act like 
men, not like brutes or fools. To be manly is to be 
noble, pure, and good. Jesus Christ was a man in 
the highest sense, and the nearer we approximate him 
the nearer true manhood we attain. Let your actions 
be noble, pure, and godlike. Let nothing mean, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 227 

low, or sordid influence you in your intercourse with 
the world. You will then not only elevate yourselves, 
but will elevate all with whom you are associated, be 
a blessing to the world, and an honor to your Alma 
Mater, Your life will end in great reward. "Quit 
you like men, be strong." Be strong in the defense of 
the right, and the advancement of all that is manly 
and godlike. No matter how highly you may have 
been educated, or how favorably you may be situated 
in life, you will not, you can not, be successful with- 
out the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit. 
Pride may suggest and fame entice you, but all will 
end in worse than empty air. God alone is eternal 
and everlasting. Such is a godly life that its influ- 
ences reach far out into the future, and are a blessing 
to the possessor and all who come under its hallowed 
influences. Such a life, young gentlemen and ladies, 
you are privileged to live — such blessings you are 
called upon to confer upon the world. 

Great are the responsibilities resting upon you. 
Great are the hopes centered in you by kind friends. 
The honor of this institution is placed in your hands 
— keep it as a sacred trust. " Quit you like men — 
stand fast in the faith — be strong." 



228 THE HISTORY OF 

ADDRESS 

BY THE PRESIDENT ON CONFERRING THE DEGREES. 

Ladies and Gentlemen : — It may be proper for me 
to add a few remarks, at this time, to those already 
made in the Baccalaureate preached at my request. 
The occasion is one of special interest to us all. We 
are now about graduating the largest class that has 
thus far gone out from the College at one time, 
which may be regarded as a good evidence of its 
prosperity. It is a pleasant sight to see such a band 
of youth step out into the broad arena of life, fully 
equipped for its struggles and conflicts. The pres^ 
ence of this large concourse of people, assembled to 
witness the closing exercises of your College life, and 
to welcome you to the advanced position, you are 
about to take, is truly encouraging. They, with us, 
look to you with pride and pleasure, and anticipate a 
bright future for you all. To you it should be a 
matter of no small gratification, that you enter public 
life with such sympathy and good wishes for your 
future success. The world is ready to receive yoq 
with open arms, and extends to you inviting fields of 
usefulness, where you will find ample scope for the 
physical, intellectual, and moral powers with which 
you are endowed. And although many, who have 
gone before you, have gained laurels in the spheres, 
you are about entering, and many others are now 
filling them with credit and honor, yet there is still 
room for you and many more. The work to be done 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 229 

for God and humanity *is great, and seems to be 
widening with the onward march of civilization and 
Christianity. With all there is to encourage you on 
this interesting occasion, I trust you will here renew 
the vow which you have, no doubt, often made that 
you will act worthy of yourselves, your friends, and 
Alma Mater. 

That you may succeed in your several callings, 
there are, as you have been told, certain necessary 
conditions with which you must comply. The honors 
and awards of life do not come by chance, but are 
the result of well-earned merit. It is just as true in 
the moral and intellectual, as it is in the physical 
world, that every effect must have its cause. And as 
there is no exception to this rule, you must, if you 
would succeed in what you engage, make thorough 
preparation for it. What a man has no proper knowl- 
edge of he will always do in a bungling way. And, 
although superficiality and quackery may succeed for 
a time, they will, sooner or later, run their course. 
The world seldom fails to find out the real worth of 
men, and forms its judgment accordingly. If you 
read history right you will find that there is no truth 
more clearly established than this, that real worth, 
solid acquirements, and profound scholarship, are 
sure of their reward in the end. It may often be 
slow in coming, but it is none the less certain. Hence, 
if you would rise above the superficiality of the day, 
and attain eminence in your several callings, you must 
not relax your effort, as if you had all necessary 
knowledge, but continue to do the same hard brain- 
work you h^ve been doing for the last few years, 



23O THE HISTORY OF 

What you have done thus far is only initiatory. It 
is for you now to continue, and perfect what has been 
begun. If you build upon the foundation that has 
been laid, and keep adding to what you have, you 
will be equal to all the emergencies that may arise, 
and make your life a success, wherever, in the prov- 
idence of God, your lot may be cast. If you fail, it 
will be because you have not applied yourselves as 
you should. There is not a member of this class but 
has sufficient mental capacity to rise to an enviable 
position in society. All that is wanting on your part 
is patient, persevering effort. Quit yourselves, there- 
fore, like men. Stir up and bring every power of 
your nature into exercise; for then, and only then, 
will you be strong. Many young men fail to make 
themselves felt in the world, never make so much as 
a ripple on the surface of society, not because they 
had not the power to do it, nor because there was 
nothing for them to do, nor any opportunity to do 
it, but mainly because they were too indolent and 
devoid of ambition to stir themselves. It is said there 
is a stone in Yazoo City Cemetery with this inscrip- 
tion: "Here lie two grandsons of John Hancock, 
signer of the Declaration of Independence. Their 
names are respectively George M. and John H. Han- 
cock, and their eminence hangs on their having had 
a grandfather.' ' And so there are to-day young men, 
of whom nothing would be known, were it not that 
they are the descendants of a noble ancestry, which, 
although very desirable, will not of itself constitute 
greatness. If a man will rise to respectability, influ- 
ence, and eminence, in a country like this, he must 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 23 I 

labor for it; and if he is too indolent to do it, he 
will soon be outstripped and left behind in the race 
of life, and die a pauper, as he justly deserves to do. 
Hence I would, on this solemn and interesting occa- 
sion, emphasize, with all the power I have, the words 
of the Apostle, which were made the basis of the 
Baccalaureate, and entreat you to engrave them upon 
the tablet of your heart, as you step out into the 
world, that you may never forget them : ' ' Watch ye, 
stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong," 
and may the blessing of God go with you. 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Glass of 1876, 



Names of Class : 

J. N. Bachman, Classical, . Stony Creek, Penn. 
A. E. Baichly, Classical, Basil, Ohio. 

Austin Baker, Classical, . Arcadia, Ohio. 
A. L. Hassler, Classical, Massillon, Ohio. 
Jacob Ihle, Classical, . Tiffin, Ohio. 

Geo. E. Knepper, Classical, Dixon, Illinois. 
D. J. Mease, Classical, . Linglestown, Penn. 
D. Scheibenberger, Classical, Greenford, Ohio. 
James H. Steele, Classical, West Brookfield, Ohio, 
Fred. W. Stump, Classical, Richville, Ohio. 
C. D. Bogart, Scientific, . Tiffin, Ohio. 
John H. Hornung, Scientific, New Bavaria, Ohio. 
Thomas F. Keller, Scientific, Tiffin, Ohio. 
L. B. C. Lahr, Scientific, . Tiffin, Ohio. 
G. W. H. Smith, Scientific, Polk, Ohio. 
W. C. Strohm, Scientific, . Linglestown, Penn. 
Ida Haywood, Scientific, Tiffin, Ohio. 
Augusta Randall, Scientific, Tiffin, Ohio. 

(232) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 233 



SERMON. 



"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, 
and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name writ- 
ten, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it." Revelation 
ii. 17. 

Life is filled with conflicts and victories. They 
meet us wherever we go. The greatest and most im- 
portant of these conflicts and victories, the one in 
which we ought to take the deepest and most abiding 
interest, is that to which reference is made in the text, 
the conflict and victory of the Christian, the man that 
has enlisted under the banner of Christ as his Captain, 
and is engaged in an eternal warfare against sin and 
Satan. As this is the most perilous and difficult of 
all contests, and involves our eternal as well as our 
temporal interests, it seems fitting that the reward 
should, at the same time, be the greatest and most 
encouraging: such as we have in the text, where it is 
said, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the 
hidden manna, and will," etc. 

Christianity surpasses every other system of religion 
in the honors and rewards which it bestows. In its 
own expressive language, it has exceeding great a?id 
precious promises, such as are found no where else. 
These throw a glory and attraction around it which 
belong to no other religion, and invest it with such 
claims as to make it worthy of universal acceptation. 
When rightly understood, it has charms which ought to 
attract alike the young and the old, the rich and the 
poor, the learned and the unlearned, the philosopher 
and the peasant. 

You will also bear us witness, my young friends, 
that during the time you have been under our instruc- 



234 THE HISTORY OF 

tion and guidance, we, your teachers, have uniformly 
sought, both by precept and example, to place the 
religion of Christ above all others, as alone worthy of 
your highest regard, and as adapted to all the wants 
and necessities of our fallen nature. And now, as you 
are to pass from under our instruction, I desire to call 
your attention to the precious promise contained in 
the text, in the hope that something may be said that 
will be calculated to exalt the Christian religion in 
your view, and afford pleasant recollections when you 
shall leave the classic halls of Heidelberg, and enter 
upon the stern realities of life. 

The text, although figurative, contains much, as 
we shall endeavor to show, that is inspiring and en- 
couraging. The first thought which it presents is that 
of a fierce contest, or struggle. Hence it speaks of 
overcoming, which brings to our mind the idea of foes 
that are to be vanquished, and difficulties that are to 
be surmounted. This world, ever since the intro- 
duction of sin* has been the theater of a great and 
mighty conflict, that has been going on between sin 
and holiness, truth and error, Christ and Satan. This 
contest is still raging, and will continue, perhaps, 
with increased violence and bitterness, down to the 
time when Christ will subdue all his enemies, and 
bring the world into complete subjection to himself. 
In this conflict you and all are required, and must by 
the very circumstances in which you are placed, take 
part. Where two forces, or kingdoms, stand in such 
direct antagonism as the kingdom of light and of 
darkness, it is impossible for any one to take a posi- 
tion of strict neutrality. To take sides with the one 
is to oppose and stand over against the other, so that 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 235 

Christ himself, the highest and best authority, has 
said, that whosoever is not with me is against me, 
and he who gathereth not together scattereth abroad. 

In this contest, my young friends, you must all 
enter ; or, to speak more properly, I should say that 
you have already entered, and are recognized by the 
Omniscient Jehovah, as having placed yourselves either 
on the side of truth or error, Christ or Satan, There 
is no election or choice here, according to which you 
can neither be for the one nor the other. It is for 
this reason that we are so often challenged in the 
word of God to choose between the good and the 
evil, and that the risen and glorified Redeemer says 
in the text, as if he would induce all to come over on 
the side of virtue and holiness, "To him that over- 
cometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna. " 

Such being the nature of this conflict, it is not a 
matter of indifference as to which side you may 
espouse; for as Christ is omnipotent, and has all 
power in heaven and on earth, he will, sooner or 
later, prevail over his foes ; so that all who oppose 
him must, in the nature of the case, suffer everlast- 
ing shame and defeat. 

In looking over the Christian Scriptures, we find 
that many entered upon this conflict at the very 
establishment of Christianity in the world, notwith- 
standing the fierce and violent persecutions to which 
it exposed them. They suffered the most painful and 
excruciating deaths. Yet none of these things moved 
them. By the presence and grace of God they were 
enabled to triumph over all their foes, so that the 
blood of the martyrs only became the seed of the 
Church. Where one fell it seemed, as if a score arose 



236 THE HISTORY OF 

to fill the vacant place. Perhaps the Apostle Paul 
was the most eminent and illustrious example of all 
who entered the contest at this time. Having at first 
identified himself with the opposers of Christianity, 
and gone to extravagant lengths in his opposition to 
the new faith, it was but natural that his conversion 
would be the signal of the most extreme persecutions 
and sufferings. Never, perhaps, in the history of the 
world has any one been called to endure such a suc- 
cession of trials, buffetings, reproaches, and suffer- 
ings, as he did for the name and cause of Christ, 
whose servant he was. His entire Christian life was 
a lingering death. And yet how heroically he en- 
dured and braved the dangers by which he was beset: 
" troubled on every side, but not in distress; per- 
plexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not for- 
saken; cast down, but not* destroyed ; always bearing 
about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that 
the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in his 
body." A contest thus bravely fought could only 
have as its end one that was triumphant and glorious. 
Hence we hear him say, as he reviewed, in the near 
approach of death, the struggle through which he had 
passed: "I have fought a good fight; I have finished 
my course; I have kept the faith: henceforth there is 
laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the 
Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day." 
We have a very remarkable testimony from the 
great Napoleon, who, summing up the triumphs of 
the Christian religion, said respecting this conflict: 
"On the one side kings and all the forces of the 
earth were arrayed ; upon the other I see no army, 
but a mysterious energy; individuals scattered here 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 237 

and there in all parts of the globe, having no other ral- 
lying sign than a common faith in the mysteries of the 
cross. . . On the one side we see rage, and all 
the furies of hatred and violence; on the other gen- 
tleness, moral courage and infinite resignation. For 
three hundred years the spirit struggled against the 
brutality of sense, the conscience against despotism, 
virtue against all the vices. The blood of Christians 
flowed in torrents; they died kissing the hand that 
slew them. . . Everywhere Christians fell, and 
everywhere they triumphed." 

There is no cause that has ever arisen in the world 
that numbers so many warm friends and advocates as 
Christianity. During the eighteen hundred years of 
its history it has w r orked its way among the principal 
nations of the earth, and numbered its votaries by 
millions. Already has a great multitude, which no 
man can number, fought its battles, won its triumphs, 
and are now wearing its crowns of victory on the 
celestial shores. The number of those who are now 
engaged in this conflict is greater than it has ever 
been in any period of the Church. They are found 
in almost every part of the world, spreading the tri- 
umphs of the cross, and preparing the way for the 
complete overthrow of error, and every form of un- 
belief and false religion, and for the ushering in of 
the grand millennium, when Christ shall reign King of 
nations on earth, as he now reigns King of saints in 
heaven. 

This conflict, although it has greatly changed as to 
its form, and the weapons by which it is carried on, 
is still the same in principle. At first it was open 
and violent. Satan would not surrender the hold he 



238 THE HISTORY OF 

had upon the world until conquered, and held in 
check by a stronger and mightier power than him- 
self. Hence he excited the rulers and devotees of 
the false religions to rise in their strength to crush 
the new faith by force. For three long centuries this 
contest of extermination went on, during which time 
the powers of darkness exerted all their strength, 
and only gave up the struggle in this form when they 
became exhausted and wearied, without being able to 
hold in check, or set limits to the rising power of 
Christianity. From that time onward new and other 
weapons have been employed, changing their form 
as the times and circumstances suggested. To-day 
the world and Satan are as much united as ever in 
opposing the progress of truth and righteousness. 
Wherever we look we see the proofs of the fierce- 
ness of the conflict. Infidelity, skepticism, science 
and philosophy, falsely so called, are sharpening their 
weapons, uniting their forces, and leveling their heav- 
iest blows at the very foundation-stones of the Chris- 
tian faith. New theories are started, old errors, long 
since exploded, are revived, and sugar-coated so as 
to please and captivate the corrupt heart. In short, 
everything that human ingenuity and deceit can do 
by open or secret opposition, by flattery or threats, 
by sensuality, debauchery, intemperance, fashion, 
worldly gain, preferment, lust, hypocrisy, etc., all is 
done that can be done to hold in check, if not to 
overthrow the kingdom of Christ. There is no doubt 
but that there are thousands upon thousands to-day, 
who have in their hearts the same bitter and hostile 
feelings to Christ and his religion, that Voltaire and 
Hume cherished long ago, and that men of corrupt 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 239 

hearts have always cherished, so that the struggle 
referred to in my text is still going on, with little 
prospect that it will soon come to an end. 

To encourage you, my young friends, to enlist un- 
der the banner of Christ in this contest, you have the 
glorious promise that in case you overcome you shall 
eat of the hidden manna, and have a white stone 
given you with a new name written thereon. No 
time could possibly be more favorable for your formal 
entrance upon this contest than the present, if you 
have not as yet done so, as you are about to pass 
from the seclusion of the school-room to the open 
arena of life. Henceforth you will mingle in new 
and different scenes, and will be expected to take 
your stand upon the various questions that may arise 
affecting your own as well as the public good. You 
must now form your own opinions, mark out your 
own course, fight your own battles, and shape your 
own destiny. The crisis is here; the responsibility 
is upon you, and you must meet it. 

You enter upon the arena of public life at a time 
that is full of hope and promise. Never before did 
the w 7 orld offer more inviting fields of usefulness and 
activity for young men of energy, piety, and talent. 
The age is one in which you should feel glad to live, 
possessing, as it does, the most abundant means of 
enjoyment and comfort. And I doubt not but that 
high aspirations beat in your hearts as you look into 
the future and picture to yourselves the part you 
hope to perform. Nor would I in the least repress 
any of these aspirations. It is wise to set the mark 
high, and labor hopefully, as well as earnestly, to 
reach it. Nothing ventured is nothing gained. This 



24O THE HISTORY OF 

much we may say, that you all possess talents, which, 
if rightly improved, will make your lives sublime. 
Hence, if you fail to give any impetus to the forces 
that are at work for good, and add nothing to the 
improvement of society, it will not be because you 
do not possess the requisite natural gifts, nor because 
you have had no training for it, but because you either 
did not exert yourselves as you should, or because 
you misdirected and abused the power you have. I 
would, therefore, urge you all, and desire that you 
give heed to this last admonition as you stand linger- 
ing at the threshold, almost ready to take your final 
leave, acquit yourselves like men, and be an honor 
and credit to the age in which you live, as well as to 
the College in which you have graduated. 

To do this, however, it is of the highest import- 
ance that you take the right stand in the contest and 
battle that is going on in the world. For if you 
identify yourselves with the power of evil or sin, or 
sacrifice your manhood by selling yourselves for filthy 
lucre, as many are doing, you may write Ichabod in 
blazing colors on your ensign; for what glory you 
might otherwise achieve will be gone, and your life, 
even though you may obtain wealth, or fame, will, 
in the end, be a miserable failure; whereas, if you 
take the side of truth, and battle for the right, you 
will surely overcome, and eat of the hidden manna, 
and have your name recorded in the book of life. 

To understand what is meant by eating of the hid- 
den manna spoken of in the text, it is necessary to 
refer to the historical account of the manna, which fell 
in the wilderness for the sustenance of the Jews, as 
they pursued their journey to the promised land. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 24 1 

As the country through which they passed afforded 
neither water nor food, the Lord caused water to flow 
from the rock when smitten by Moses, and fed them 
with manna from heaven. Every morning when they 
arose they found the ground covered with manna suf- 
ficient for all their wants, so that all they had to do 
was merely to gather and eat. In this way they were ■ 
sustained until they reached the rich and fertile plains 
of Canaan, promised to their fathers. This manna 
was typical of the rich spiritual meat and drink pro- 
vided in the gospel, of which Christ is the sum and 
substance. Hence he himself said to the Jews: 
"Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and 
are dead. I am the living bread, which came down 
from heaven ; if any man eat of this bread he shall 
live for ever." From which we may learn that the 
manna which fell in the wilderness was a type of 
Christ, who is the food and nourishment of every be- 
lieving soul; the living bread, of which, if a man eat, 
Jie will never hunger after the world. 

Had we time it might be interesting and profitable 
to trace the many points of resemblance between the 
manna that fell in the wilderness and Christ, of whom 
it was a beautiful type. We might show that both 
came directly from heaven, without any labor on the 
part of man; how they satisfied all the wants of those 
who partook of them ; what an abundance there was 
in the one case for all Israel, and in the other for the 
whole world; how it was and is adapted to every 
possible taste and condition of life, so that no one 
need suffer hunger or perish, if he will only seek and 

appropriate it to himself. But we must leave all this 
16 



242 THE HISTORY OF 

to your own private meditation, and proceed with 
our subject. 

The manna here referred to is called hidden, doubt- 
less because it is concealed from the gaze and obser- 
vation of the world. It is not anything which the 
eye can see, or the hand handle. It does not belong 
to the world of sense. The natural man can neither 
see nor discern it. It is foolishness to him ; he can 
not know it, as it is only spiritually discerned. When 
Christ was on earth the world had no proper con- 
ception of his true character. It saw nothing in him 
more than the Son of Man, the carpenter of Nazareth, 
without divine pow T er, beauty or loveliness, whilst 
Peter and the other disciples beholding him by the 
eye of faith, recognized him as the Christ, the Son 
of the living God. For any one, therefore, to re- 
ceive and appropriate to himself the bread of life, it 
is necessary that he should have a proper conception 
of Christ, and be brought in living union and fellow- 
ship with him by faith. This being done, it is his 
right and privilege to feed on Christ, the true bread 
that came down from heaven, of which the manna in 
the wilderness was a type and symbol. Upon this 
he lives, and by the strength which it gives, he pur- 
sues his journey heavenward, as the Jews did to 
Caanan. All who take knowledge of him see that 
he is upheld by a divine power, supported by special 
grace, and fed upon food that is hidden from the gaze 
of the world. His soul knows no hunger or thirst. 
' i All things are his, whether the world, or life, or 
death, or 'things present, or things to come ; all are 
his, and he is Christ's, and Christ is God's." Whilst 
thus fed and supported, the Christian is enabled to 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 243 

war a good warfare against sin, the world, and Satan. 
He gains new conquests every day, and marches boldly 
on. No opposition from earth or hell can effectually 
retard his course. In the name and strength of the 
great Captain of his salvation, he overcomes one foe 
after another. Nothing can separate him from Christ 
to whom he is bound by ties that are stronger than 
death. He is willing and ready to sacrifice everything 
for the true, the good, and the right, and does not 
even count his life dear if he can only win Christ and 
be found in him. He would rather be in the right, 
and maintain his integrity, than occupy the highest 
position in the world, and be in the wrong, know- 
ing that if he overcomes in this contest, the Savior 
will give him to eat of the hidden manna, etc. 

What is here meant by the white stone, with a new 
name written thereon, is not so apparent as in the 
case of the manna, as there is no certain clew to its 
true signification. There may be, and no doubt is, 
a reference to some ancient custom that was preva- 
lent at the time the text was written, of which we 
can not be fully certain, and must, therefore, remain 
in doubt as to its exact meaning. 

Some suppose it refers to the custom prevalent 
among the ancients of giving those who gained a 
prize in the public games, a white stone, with their 
names engraven thereon, which entitled them to the 
honor of being maintained at the public expense. If 
this be its reference, it means that Christ will give 
all who overcome in the Christian warfare some ex- 
ternal sign of his love and affection, and of their right 
and privilege to the blessings and immunities of his 
kingdom, that they shall henceforth and forever eat 



244 THE HISTORY OF 

of the hidden manna which has come down from 
heaven for the redemption of the world. 

Others understand by the white stone, a token of 
hospitality and friendship, according to another an- 
cient custom, that whenever a traveler chanced to 
turn in and tarry over night with any one, it was 
usual for the host to take a white stone in the morning 
when they were about to part, which he split in two 
pieces, one of which he gave his guest, and retained 
the other himself, upon which each wrote his own 
name. By this means a league of friendship was 
formed, so that if it should ever occur, in after-life, 
that either would be near the abode of the other, 
and should need his hospitality, all that would be 
necessary for him would be to present the white stone 
with his name written thereon, which would entitle 
him to his regard and favor. If this be understood 
as the reference, of which mention is made in the 
text, then it is, as if Christ would say, to him that 
overcometh : " I have taken you into my friendship, 
and given you hidden manna from my hospitable 
board ; I have admitted you to the privileges of my 
house, and now I give you as a token of the same a 
white stone with a new name written thereon, which 
shall be the pledge that you may walk the earth as 
my friend, and at last be received into heaven, the 
final home of the blessed, and enjoy its immunities 
forever." 

Others again understand, with perhaps more plaus- 
ibility, the white stone as referring to another custom 
common among the ancients, of trying any one that 
was charged with a crime, according to which the 
presiding officer gave each judge who sat in the case, 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 245 

a white and a black stone, one of which he was to 
cast into the box after he heard the testimony as 
proof of the innocence, or guilt of the accused. If a 
majority of the stones cast into the box were white, 
the criminal was acquitted ; if not, he was condemned. 
The Savior now may be understood as saying to- him 
that overcometh, in allusion to this custom, will I 
give you a white stone as the pledge and assurance 
of your acquittal and justification from the condem- 
nation of the law, so that no one, henceforth and 
forever, shall lay anything to your charge. In this 
sense it is expressive of the believer's justification, 
and of his right and title to heaven and eternal life. 
For should his conscience, the world, the devil, or 
any of his foes express a doubt of his claim to the 
divine favor, he can repel every charge so long as he 
carries with him the pledge of his acquittal, and ask, 
in bold defiance of all his accusers, who shall lay any- 
thing to the charge of Gods elect ? 

The new name written on the stone, which only he 
that received it knew and understood, refers, in all 
probability, to an old custom of giving a new name 
to those who were raised from a lower to a higher 
position in life. All who are acquainted with ancient 
history know how common this custom was. Hence 
Christ says, in allusion to it, that he will give a new 
name to every one that will overcome in this contest ; 
for he will henceforth make him a pillar in the temple 
of God, and exalt him to the dignity of a king and a 
priest ; and permit him to sit with him on his throne, 
judging the nations of the earth. What is compre- 
hended in this elevation, which consists in being taken 
from the state of sin and condemnation, and made a 



246 THE HISTORY OF 

citizen of the heavenly kingdom the world knows not, 
and therefore does not seek after it ; but to him who 
has experienced it, it is no mystery ; he understands 
the secret of it, and places a value upon it that is be- 
yond all price. 

And now, my young friends of the Class of 1876, 
the application of my subject is easy and natural. I 
have called your attention to it, as already said, in 
order that I might present to you, in this, my last 
public address, one of the bright and pleasing sides 
of Christianity, in the hope that you may be allured 
and attracted thereby, and make it your only and 
lasting choice ; being assured it has joys and pleas- 
ures which can be found no where else, and is the 
only religion that can give solid comfort in life and 
death. That it has its conflicts and dangers we read- 
ily admit. This is, however, only what might be 
expected in a world of sin and temptation, like this in 
which we live. But whilst it has its struggles, it has 
its victories, which all may achieve through the 
strength and grace of God. You, too, if true to 
yourselves, and the instructions you have received, 
may all at last wear a crown, and bear palms of vic- 
tory in your hands. I need not tell you, for you 
have read it in all our past acts, that our earnest de- 
sire is that you may all take the right side in the 
contest to which we have referred, and fight the good 
fight of faith, and lay hold upon eternal life. 

You will now soon pass from under our watch and 
care. The old familiar walks you have so often trod 
will soon be left and trod by other feet, whilst new and 
varied scenes will meet your eyes in other places. 
The familiar faces of your teachers and fellow-students 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 247 

will give place to others, so that you will be com- 
pelled to form new friends and associations. Other 
lips will instruct you, and other hands direct your 
steps. But this one thing you may rest assured of, 
that no one will watch your course with more interest, 
or offer more earnest prayers to God for your safety 
and success, than the friends you leave behind. 

Be encouraged by the progress you have already 
made, to work your way up still higher and higher. 
Having fought one battle and obtained high vantage 
ground, press onward and upward. Let your motto 
be, What others have done, I can make the attempt 
to do, and even hope to do it by earnest and patient 
effort. Keep toiling on, therefore, until you reach 
the mark for the prize of your calling. 

And now, by way of conclusion, I would impress 
this one truth upon you, and have you, if possible, 
crystallize and lay it up in the chamber of your mind, 
never to be forgotten or disregarded, that if you ever 
hope to wear the crown of a conqueror, and eat of 
the tree of life, you must strive earnestly and patiently 
for it. 

"Then . . . march boldly on, 
Press forward to the heavenly gate ; 
There peace and joy eternal reign, 
And glitt'ring robes for conqu'rors wait. 

" There you shall wear a starry crown, 
And triumph in immortal youth ; 
While all the armies of the skies, 
Join in your glorious Leader's praise." 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Class of 1877. 



Names of Class : 

N. W. A. Helffrich, Classical, Foglesville, Penn. 
W. F. Horstmeier, " Cincinnati, Ohio. 



R. F. Oplinger, 
J. B. Rust, 
E. R. Good, . 
Silas B. Mase, 
Belle- Baker, 
Alice M. Good, 
Lizzie A. Halladay, 
Laura J. Lott, 



" . Akron, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Scientific, Tiffin, Ohio. 

West Brookfield, O. 
" . Arcadia, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Weston, Ohio. 
Bettsville, Ohio. 



(t 



(248) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 249 

SERMON. 
"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. " — Psalm lvii. 7. 

Example, it has well been said, is a great teacher. 
This results from the peculiar constitution of our na- 
ture, in that God has so made us, that the life and 
character of one man have a powerful influence upon 
that of another. No one can, by the power of his 
will, or the mere force of circumstances, wholly re- 
sist this influence, and act independent of it. For, 
consciously or unconsciously, we are all affected more 
or less by the intercourse we have with those around 
us. The years you have spent, my young friends, 
in Heidelberg College, poring over your books, and 
then sauntering out upon a pleasant stroll with a 
fellow-student, have left a deep impress upon you all, 
which nothing can ever entirely efface. But we are 
not only affected by our present surroundings — we are 
also closely allied to the past, which, like the present, 
is molding and fashioning us by a silent but mighty 
power. No one can, indeed, read over the pages of 
history, or hear of the doings of those who have 
gone before us, without having his spirit stirred 
within him to a life of virtue or of shame, so that 
the life we now live will set agencies at work which 
will never cease to operate. 

Recognizing this law of our nature, I have selected 
the words of my text as suitable to the present occa- 
sion, containing, as they do, the purpose of David to 
maintain a life of firmness and. decision of character 
in reference to what is good and true. There are 
many things in the life of this devoted servant of 



250 THE HISTORY OF 

God that go to single him out from the galaxy of 
the great and good of by-gone days, as an example 
worthy of imitation. Born and reared amid the se- 
clusion and quietude of a shepherd's life, he gradu- 
ally arose in the estimation of God and men, by his 
strict integrity and moral excellence, until he attained 
the highest position in the Jewish commonwealth, 
teaching us this important lesson, that the road to 
eminence lies open to all, and that those who are 
persevering in their efforts to overcome the obstacles 
that lie in the way of their advancement seldom fail, 
in the end, to reach the goal after which they are 
striving. 

Those of you who have studied the life of David 
know that he had great opposition to encounter 
before he reached the throne of Israel, and that he 
was sorely tried on many occasions, and was often 
tempted to take vengeance on his persecutors ; but 
was restrained, by the lofty purpose he had formed, 
never to do wrong, and thus enabled to possess his 
soul in patience, and pursue the even tenor of his way. 

Considering the lofty position which he occupied, 
we may imagine that he was often placed in the most 
perplexing circumstances, and was sorely puzzled to 
know what duty required of him in the ever-varying 
circumstances through which he was called to pass. 
Nor was he alone in these perplexities; for they are 
common to men in every department of life, when 
they are conscientious and anxious to do the right. 
The philosopher has them as well as the peasant, the 
Christian as well as the skeptic, the monk in his cell 
as well as the king upon his throne. Yet it must 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 25 I 

often have been peculiarly embarrassing to David, 
called, as he was, to preside over a people proverb- 
ially rebellious and stiff-necked, to be able, at all times, 
to decide what duty required, and to be fixed in his 
purpose to maintain his integrity. For there were, 
doubtless, swarms of fawning sycophants around him, 
just as there are hundreds of hungry office-seekers at 
the head of our Government, who employ all the arts 
of flattery and dissimulation to obtain positions of 
trust and profit, who, if unsuccessful, become the most 
determined enemies and opposers. Yet, trying as 
were the circumstances in which he was placed, noth- 
ing seemed to disturb the equanimity of his mind; 
for he had reposed all his trust in God, and was pre- 
pared for any emergency that might arise, and could, 
therefore, express the settled purpose of his life in the 
words of the text, saying, " My heart is fixed, O God, 
my heart is fixed." What a blessing it must be to 
any nation to have rulers of such moral firmness and 
religious constancy as was David, and how worthy 
of imitation the example thus set you who are about 
entering upon the active duties of life. 

Following, therefore, the thought suggested by the 
words of the text, we are led to consider, as the sub- 
ject of our present meditation, a heai't that is fixed in 
its purpose and intention to do the right under the ever- 
varying circumstances of life. And, by a fixed heart, 
I mean just the opposite of that which is wavering, 
vacillating, and tossed about by every wind of doc- 
trine and cunning craftiness of men who lie in wait 
to deceive; or, to express it in other words, I would 
say a fixed heart is one that has attained a clear con- 



252 THE HISTORY OF 

ception of the truth, and clings to it with a firm and 
steady grasp, without being unsettled by every new 
phase of doctrine that may arise. It is something 
very different in its nature from a blind and bigoted 
adherence to a notion or principle, merely because it 
happens to be our own. It is no peculiar fancy, 
whim or figment of the brain, which a man invents 
and then defends with intemperate zeal, whether 
right or wrong. A fixed heart, although firm and 
steady in its purpose and frame, is still open to con- 
viction, and is ever ready to weigh, with calm delib- 
eration, every argument that may be presented, in 
order that its decision may be well-grounded and con- 
sistent with the demands of reason. It is not hasty, 
passionate, or precipitate, but calm and deliberate. 
It weighs and balances everything with just discrimi- 
nation, so that, when it once becomes fixed and set- 
tled in any particular belief, doctrine or duty, it is 
not easily disturbed, and cast from its mooring, and 
sent out like a wandering star in the field of doubt 
and uncertainty. It is a mind self-possessed and 
well-balanced, grounding itself in the truth, and at 
the same time sustained, nourished and upheld by 
the truth. As thus viewed, a fixed heart is one that 
has returned from its doubts and fears, the warring 
and conflicting elements of sin, that destroyed the 
harmony that originally existed between God and 
man, and has poised or placed itself upon the un- 
changing principles of truth, which find their ulti- 
mate ground in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to- 
day and forever. It was such a heart as this, that 
David speaks of in the text, and is possessed by all 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 253 

true and intelligent Christians, that I would exhort 
you, my young friends, to seek and strive after as a 
jewel of untold and priceless value. 

But upon, or in what should the heart be fixed ? 
Can there be anything in this world of doubt, of 
uncertainty and conflict, in reference to which there 
can be general agreement? Is there any doctrine, 
principle or course of life about which we may be 
settled and unwavering? Is it possible, imperfect 
and ignorant as we are about many things, to dis- 
cover which, from among the many diverging paths 
that open up so invitingly before us, is the one 
which we ought to pursue in preference to the rest, 
as that which alone will lead to the true end and 
object of life ? 

These are questions that are often seriously asked, 
and not unfrequently trouble and perplex the minds 
of some, to such an extent, as to create doubt and 
hesitancy as to what course they should adopt in life. 
Nor are they to be entirely ignored and set aside as 
vain and useless questions, and, for this reason, un- 
worthy of any serious consideration. Constituted 
and situated as we are in the world, it becomes us to 
exercise great caution in the conclusions and deter- 
minations at which we arrive. Hence, whilst we 
should not be disposed to turn to the right or left, 
we should still carefully observe the ground over 
which we pass, and view everything with a critic's 
eye. It was for this reason that God endowed us 
with the noble powers we possess, that we might 
weigh everything with calm and thoughtful consider- 
ation, and then choose that which seems to be con- 



254 THE HISTORY OF 

ducive of the greatest amount of good. Those who 
thus use their reason generally come to such conclu- 
sions as are safe and satisfactory, in reference to 
which it is their duty to be fixed and steadfast and 
not to waver and. doubt. 

Nor is it to be supposed that God, who is infinitely 
good, and desires the happiness of his creatures, 
would so constitute us that we should be forever cast 
upon the sea of doubt, and never be able to decide 
with certainty what we ought to believe or do. It 
has not been thus with the good, the wise, and con- 
siderate of former ages. If we read the history of 
the past with care, we will find that whilst they had, 
at times, their fears and misgivings as to what was 
right and proper under certain contingencies, there 
was still a remarkable harmony respecting the funda- 
mental truths and principles which underlie and con- 
dition everything around us; from which we may 
infer that it is not only possible for us to arrive at 
moral certainty as to what is right, but that it is also 
our duty to be fixed and steadfast therein. 

What, then, to be more particular, are some of 
the fundamental truths and principles in reference to 
which, young as you are, you should be fixed and 
settled in your minds, as you now embark upon the 
sea of life? And here it would seem proper that we 
should begin with the belief, or idea of the being and 
character of God, the idea of all other ideas, that which 
underlies and constitutes the ground of everything else. 
To suppose that a world like this which we inhabit, 
destitute of reason and personality, as we are sure it 
is, should have the ground of its being in itself, or 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 255 

be able to create itself, with all the adaptation of 
means to a final end, which is apparent in every part 
of it; or that it should have an inherent energy or 
power, so as to unite and hold together all the 
various parts of which it is composed, and so move 
on quietly and majestically of itself, is utterly con- 
founding to reason. It is an idea which never 
entered into the mind of any of the ancient phi- 
losophers in their various speculations or search after 
the origin of things; and, I may add, that it is a 
thought which the human reason, if left to itself, 
could never have originated. Hence the Scriptures 
tell us that it is "through faith we understand that 
the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that 
things which are seen were not made of things which 
do appear." 

This idea of God as the self-existent and eternal 
Jehovah, without beginning of days or end of years, 
infinite in wisdom, goodness, power and holiness, 
the Creator and Upholder of all things, is, without 
doubt, the most sublime, and, at the same time, 
the most comforting that can enter the mind. And 
although reason, beclouded and enervated as it is, 
in consequence of sin, could never have originated it, 
it nevertheless bows and gives its consent to it as the 
most satisfactory explanation of things. 

This idea 01 God, I may add, is very different and 
vastly more satisfactory than the theories and specu- 
lations of the ancient philosophers, and of some of 
the philosophers and scientists of modern times, a 
few of which it may be well to mention by way of 
contrast; and, in doing this, we can not fail to see 



256 THE HISTORY OF 

how error repeats itself in assuming new and dif- 
ferent phases from time to time. Thus many of 
the speculations of modern scientists, with all their 
boasts of originality and discovery, are nothing more, 
when stripped of their peculiar phraseology, than the 
exploded theories of the old Greek philosophers, who 
went as far in their researches as it is, perhaps, pos- 
sible for the human mind to do unaided by divine 
revelation. The Ionians, who were the first to enter 
the field of philosophy, and to search after the origin 
of things, adopted a materialistic principle, such as 
water, earth and air, as the initial or starting point, 
from which everything else proceeded, thus bearing 
a striking analogy to the primordial germ or proto- 
plasm, from which some modern physicists have 
attempted to evolve, through long and interminable 
ages, the myriads of beings that dwell upon the face 
of the earth. The Italians, being of a mathematical 
turn of mind, professed to find the ground of things 
in the idealistic notion of numbers, which they held 
to be the original types and symbols of every form 
of concrete being. The Eleatics, rejecting the spec- 
ulations of their predecessors, supposed that they 
had found the key by which they could unlock the 
mystery that hangs around the origin of things in 
the transcendental idea of pure being, thus ignoring 
and virtually negating all material existence. The 
Atomists, who believed in the eternity of matter, 
supposed that it existed originally in an infinitely 
small number of particles flying confusedly through 
space, until, at length, they happened, by chance, to 
come together, and so formed this stupendous uni- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 257 

verse in its present organized form. The Sophists, 
despairing of ever obtaining positive certainty amid 
the endless conflict and war of opinions, adopted the 
prificiple of absolute subjectivity, allowing every man 
to think and believe as he pleases, thus making his 
own reason the standard of truth. In this way the 
human mind was cast upon the sea of doubt, still 
seeking and searching after God, if happily it might 
find him, until at last the bright and morning star 
arose over the plains of Bethlehem and dispersed 
the gloom in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, 
who revealed God as he never had been revealed or 
known before. And yet, notwithstanding the light 
began to shine with increased brightness, breaking 
though the clouds of ignorance that had overspread 
the world, there were still those that turned away 
from it, and continued to speculate and reason, as 
they have done even to the present time, in regard 
to the origin of things according to their own pe- 
culiar notions, arriving at and defending w T ith great 
logical acumen the different conceptions of Panthe- 
ism, Evolution, Materialism, Nihilism, Atheism, Nat- 
uralism and Rationalism, of which we have heard 
so much in these latter days. From such specula- 
tions and theorizings, my young friends, I would 
affectionately entreat you to keep aloof, and, if you 
study them, as it is right and proper for you to do — 
to keep pace with the progress of thought — do not 
allow yourselves to be deceived and led astray by 
the specious forms of sophistry and boasting pre- 
tensions of science, falsely so called. But, having 
a more sure word of prophecy in the oracles of 
17 



258 THE HISTORY OF 

truth, hold fast to this with unflinching firmness, 
containing, as it does, the clearest and most com- 
plete revelation that has ever been made of the 
being and character of God as he is in himself, and 
in his relations to the human family. And if you 
should ever be tempted, amid the noise and conflict 
of opinion, to doubt in regard to God as he is re- 
vealed in Christ, or of your duty to reverence, fear 
and serve him, dispel every such doubt as an in- 
truder to your peace and comfort, and look up with 
child-like confidence, and say, "My heart is fixed, 
God, my heart is fixed" in thee as the rock of my 
defense and the God of my salvation. 

Turning away, for a moment, from this central 
idea of God, around which it is ever pleasant and 
profitable to dwell, there are other things which 
grow out of this in reference to which it becomes 
you to be equally settled and fixed in your minds. 
There is nothing separate and isolated in the world 
of thought, any more than there is in the world of 
matter, where we see everything united in one or- 
ganic whole. Those, therefore, who form a right 
conception of the being and character of God, are 
always accustomed to associate with it other objects 
of belief, which condition and determine, to a great 
extent, the conduct of life. A correct knowledge 
of God involves and associates with it a great many 
other things. What these are, it is presumable you 
have some general knowledge, after having passed 
through the course of study you have just finished 
preparatory to your graduation. The object of the 
mental discipline connected with our colleges and 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 2$9 

schools of learning is, to accustom and prepare the 
mind to think, and so to form definite conclusions as 
for what and how we ought to live and act, so as to 
accomplish the true end of our being. Hence, it is 
altogether presumable, after you have been explor- 
ing the temple of knowledge for several years under 
the guidance and direction of your instructors, who 
have made you acquainted with the different no- 
tions and beliefs that have prevailed upon the great 
variety of topics that have been discussed in the 
halls of learning, science, and religion, that you 
enter the arena of life fully equipped for its strug- 
gles and conflicts, and that we may anticipate of 
each one of you a bright and prosperous future. 
This much, at least, we would fondly believe, after 
all the Christian teaching and influence you have 
received, that your minds are fixed in reference to 
the origin and end of things; that the world is not 
the result of chance, but the product of God's cre- 
ative power; that his providence governs and directs 
all things for the good of his creatures; that the 
Bible is the word of God, and no cunningly devised 
fable, forgery or pious fraud ; that Christ is a divine 
and all-sufficient Savior, able to save all who put 
their trust in him; that his death is a complete 
atonement for sin, so that God can now be just in 
justifying the believing sinner; that the grace and 
truth which he brought into the world are preserved 
and offered to men in and through the Church, 
which is finally to prevail in every part of the earth ; 
that all men are individually responsible to God, in 
whom they live, move, and have their being, for the 



26o THE HISTORY OF 

manner in which they live ; that death does not end 
all, and that there is a life beyond the grave where 
each and all will receive according to the deeds done 
in the body, whether they have been good or bad. 

These being primary or necessary truths, you 
should no more doubt or hesitate about them than 
you do of your own existence. And if men of cor- 
rupt minds and disordered imaginations call them 
in question, as they have often done, you should 
not be captivated by their sophistry or deceived by 
their logic, but hold fast to them as the foundation 
stones upon which you are to build characters of in- 
tegrity and moral rectitude. 

But you should not only be fixed in your be- 
lief of the great fundamental truths which under- 
lie everything around us, whether it be in the world 
of matter, mind or religion, you should also be 
equally settled in your purpose and determination to 
do the right at all times and under all circumstances. 
There is a very close, yea, an inseparable connection 
between a man's belief and conduct, so that faith 
without works is dead. It is, in fact, no faith if it 
be not accompanied with corresponding fruit, being 
nothing more than a mere intellectual apprehension, 
which does not affect the heart. A clear head and 
a sound heart are, therefore, the necessary requisites 
of a good, moral, Christian life. As no one would 
ever think, in the natural world, of getting grapes of 
thorns, or figs of thistles, or good fruit from an evil 
tree, so no more are we to expect to find the fruit of 
a sanctified Christian life as the result of a brain that 
is disordered, or a heart that is corrupt. The one 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 26 I 

being the very opposite of the other, there can be 
no more harmony or agreement between them than 
there is between light and darkness, truth and error, 
sin and holiness. Having, therefore, fixed and set- 
tled in your hearts what you ought to believe and 
hold fast to as the form of sound doctrine, you 
should now endeavor to build upon this as a sure 
foundation, and go on to perfection. 

In this aspect of the case, you have now, my 
young friends, reached a very important period in 
life, the period when you are to combine action with 
knowledge, and so put into practical operation the 
views and principles you have been maturing dur- 
ing those years of study. The drill and discipline 
of the school-room are now to be exchanged for the 
active duties and responsibilities of life. The work 
of preparation and tutorage is so far done that you 
are no longer to depend upon instructors and others 
to map out your daily work; but when you are to 
choose your own path, and determine what duty and 
interest require in the ever-changing circumstances 
through which you may be called to pass. And as 
you have often found it difficult to decide in the con- 
flict of opinions, and the consequent doubt that would 
arise as to what you ought to believe as the truth in 
the case, so you will, no doubt, often have the same 
perplexity as to what you ought to do amid the 
conflicting interests and diverging paths of life. It 
is for this reason that life is often called a struggle, 
a conflict, a battle-ground, where doubts are to be 
resolved, temptations overcome, and victories won. 
These, although they often disturb the peace and 



262 THE HISTORY OF 

quiet of the soul, and are for this reason deprecated 
and avoided as much as possible, are nevertheless of 
great importance in the formation and consolidation 
of character. A character that has been formed 
without a single struggle or conflict, amid the flowery- 
beds of ease and the constant warm sunshine of pros- 
perity, with nothing to check its growth, or to harden 
and cement its various parts, does not possess the en- 
durance, symmetry and beauty of one that is formed 
amid the trials, temptations and perplexities that are 
overcome in the battle of life. These you will now 
have to encounter to an extent unknown before ; and 
whilst you should not court, or provoke them by your 
conduct, you should, at the same time, not shrink or 
run away from them, like cowards, when they arise 
of their own accord, and are incident to the struggle 
in which you are engaged; but meet them with a 
heart that is fixed in its purpose to cling to and do 
the right, without any compromise of principle or gain 
at the sacrifice of truth or justice. 

Such a heart, or frame of mind like this, is of im- 
mense value in the struggle before you, and may be 
regarded as the precursor and guarantee of victory, 
being the best shield and protection that any one can 
have against the assaults of the enemy. Being calm 
and self-possessed, and at the same time armed with 
the truth of God's word, which is the sword of the 
Spirit, you may resist every temptation, and main- 
tain your ground with firmness and decision, gaining 
strength and solidity by every victory which jou win. 
It is this that has made the army of moral heroes 
who stand out with such prominence in the history 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 263 

of the past. It was this that made David the tower 
of strength he was in his day and generation, a 
terror to evil-doers, and yet, at the same time, the 
man after God's own heart. It was this that made 
Paul the moral hero that he was, enduring, as he did, 
all the perils of sea and land, not even counting his 
life dear, that he might win souls for Christ, and 
finish his ministry with credit to himself and with 
the approbation of his Lord. It was this that 
enabled Luther to maintain the calmness and com- 
posure he did, when he declared, in the presence 
of the kings, princes and nobles, who were looking 
down upon him with scorn and derision, and even 
thirsting for his blood, "Here I stand upon the truth 
revealed in the Bible. I can do nothing else, so help 
me God." It was this that induced Gustavus Adol- 
phus, against the tears and entreaties of his friends, 
to risk everything that was dear to him as a man, a 
father, a prince, and a soldier, upon the field of 
battle, for the maintenance of the liberties of the 
Germanic States, and the right of worshiping God 
without any restriction of arbitrary power. There 
is something truly grand and sublime in characters 
like these, which tower above and cast a shadow 
over those of ordinary mortals, as the high mount- 
ains do over the hills and the valleys below. 

Such characters of moral firmness and excellence 
are not the growth of a day, nor the result of a few 
acts of noble daring. They do not come and go 
like the meteor that suddenly flashes in the heavens, 
and attracts us for a moment with its brilliancy, and 
then disappears from our view to be seen no more; 



264 THE HISTORY OF 

but they are slow and steady in their growth, and 
are the results of a life of self-consecration and devo- 
tion to what is true, good and right. As the tall 
and stately oak, that stands before us as the pride of 
the forest, requires years to mature itself, sending out 
one twig and shoot after another, as it was warmed 
and quickened by the genial rays of the sun, fanned 
by the breezes, shaken and bent in its roots and 
fibers by the storm and tempest, and fed and nour- 
ished by a thousand influences ; so it is with charac- 
ters of moral excellence and goodness — they are slow 
in their formation and consolidation, and are the re- 
sult of patient perseverance in well-doing. Such a 
character, like everything else that is valuable and 
worth possessing, is only attained by much labor, 
toil and effort; but, when secured, it is worth more 
than riches, honor or fame, or anything which the 
world calls great and good. 

The application of the subject, my young friends, 
is easy and natural. You have, indeed, no doubt, 
already anticipated, from what we have now said, 
that what we designed to impress upon you, with 
special force in this our last public address, is the 
importance of a heart or frame of mind that is calm, 
well-balanced, self possessed, and fixed in its purpose 
to hold fast to and do the right at all times and under 
all circumstances. In the possession of a heart like 
this, you can go out into the world, mix in its noise 
and tumult, meet friends and foes, pass through 
seasons of joy and of sorrow, health and sickness, 
without the compromise of any principle of right, 
or the sacrifice of anything that belongs to true 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 265 

manhood. It will prove your best shield and pro- 
tection in the hour of danger and temptation, and 
be a tower of strength amid all the assaults of the 
enemy. With all your getting, therefore, seek after 
a heart like that which David possessed, and de- 
scribed in the text — a "heart that has returned from 
its wanderings, its doubts and misgivings, and re- , 
posed its trust in Him, who is the Alpha and Omega, 
the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 
And may the God of peace be with you, and cause 
you to remain steadfast in your integrity unto the 
end, and then give you an abundant entrance into 
his everlasting kingdom through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Class of 1878. 



Names of Class 

Walter S. Cramer, Classical, . 
Wm, H. Heckerman, *' 
W. Albert Miller, " 

John D. Neff, " 

Grier M. Orr, 

Willis S. Lynn, Scientific, 

Warren E. Brinkerhoff ' ' 
Samuel McKetrick, " 
John C. Rickenbaugh, " 
Enoch Striker, " 

Della A. Dunnell, " 

AnnaStoner, " 



Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Carrolton, Ohio. 
Petersburg, Pa. 
Oconto, Wis. 
Canfield, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Coleraine, Mass. 
Fort Seneca, 0« 



(266) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE-. 267 

SERMON. 

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter : Fear God, and 
keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." — 
Ecclesiastes xii. 13. 

The Bible bears the impress of its originality and 
divinity upon every page. It is in this respect per- 
fectly unique, and stands upon a plain that is higher 
than any other book, with which it may be compared. 
It is true, we have many works of rare excellence and 
originality, in every department of science and phi- 
losophy — works which exhibit the highest culture and 
genius, but when we come to compare them with the 
Bible, it is like placing a candle by the side of the 
great orb of day. 

That this is so, is apparent from the fact that no- 
where in the realms of literature, whether ancient or 
modern, do we find a book that contains so many 
grand and sublime sentences as are scattered through- 
out the Bible, as so many gems of priceless value. 
What, for instance, can be more beautiful and com- 
prehensive than the golden rule, as it is justly called, 
which says, ' ' Whatsoever ye would that men should do 
to you, do ye even so to them ; for this is the law and 
the prophets." Or, what can equal the sublime decla- 
ration of the Savior, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy 
strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as 
thyself." Sentiments like these can not but commend 
themselves to the universal assent and approval of all 
right-minded persons, as they are in accordance 
with the dictates of sound reason, and need only be 
stated in order that they may be believed, carrying, 
as they do, the evidence of their truth with them. 



2 68 THE HISTORY OF 

So it is, in like manner, with the words of my text, 
which possess a beauty and comprehensiveness which 
can not fail to commend them to bur highest regard, 
summing up, as they do, the whole duty of man in a 
few words, which deserve to be written in letters of 
gold in pictures of silver. It is as if the Preacher, 
wearied and exhausted with his efforts to unravel and 
solve the different problems of life, and, as if admon- 
ished of the fact that of making many books there is 
no end, and that much study is a weariness to the 
flesh, desired to bring the whole subject within the 
smallest compass imaginable, saying, " Let us hear 
the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep 
his commandments : for this is the whole duty of man" 
And it is, my young friends, with the desire of im- 
pressing and crystallizing, as it were, these words in 
your hearts, so that you may never forget them, but 
carry them with you in the full consciousness of their 
deep import, that I have chosen them as the basis of 
my remarks on the present occasion. For it is only 
as we are impressed with the idea of God, his near- 
ness, his power and dominion over us, and of our 
obligations to him, that we can be expected to fear 
him, and do his most holy will. 

It is well, too, that we have the subject, of which 
my text treats, brought out with such clearness and 
authority ; for it is, as you know, one that involves a 
great deal of difficulty, and has occasioned much dis- 
cussion and dispute. The world never has been, nor 
is to-day, of one mind as to what constitutes the chief 
duty and work of man. Already in the ancient 
schools of philosophy, etablished among the Greeks, 
and long before, we find a great diversity of sentiment 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 269 

as to how we ought to live so as to accomplish the 
true end of our being. Some affirmed one thing, and 
others another, so that all was in doubt and uncer- 
tainty. And if we look out upon the busy world of 
to-day, and ask the eager, restless crowd as it passes 
by in the hurry and bustle of life, what, in the clear 
light of the nineteenth century, it is that they are 
living for, and how we ought to spend the few fleeting 
years allotted to us in this world, we will be aston- 
ished at the diversity of views expressed. Some will 
doubtless tell us that they have no specific object be- 
fore them ; that they are here because they can not 
help it ; that they have been ushered into the world 
with no choice of their own, and that they are indif- 
ferent as to whither they are drifting, or what will 
become of them. Others will tell us that a man can 
have no better thing under the sun, than to eat and 
drink and be merry ; to walk in the sight of his eyes, 
and after the desires of his heart ; to give a loose reign 
to all his desires, appetites, and passions, and to en- 
joy himself to the fullest extent, knowing that he must 
soon die and be no more. Others will tell us that 
they are living for an immortality of fame, and that 
their chief aspiration is to embalm their memory in 
the recollection of their fellow-men; whilst others, 
again, will tell us that they are living for the world, to 
amass and secure its treasures, its riches, its honors, 
and emoluments ; to heap up, as it were, in one great 
pile, all that the world calls great and good, and then 
sit down and enjoy it to their hearts' content, forget- 
ting that this is only the vision, or dream of a deluded 
imagination. This is no Utopia, no fanciful repre- 
sentation, or burlesque, upon the objects and aims of 



270 THE HISTORY OF 

men ; but a true picture of the world as it ever has 
been, and now is, pressing on, with irresistible speed, 
to its final destiny, without any clear conception of 
the object or end for which our Maker gave us here a 
place. How thankful we should all be, therefore, 
that the wise man, under the inspiration of the Spirit 
of God, has given us a solution of the problem of hu- 
man life, in its intent and purpose, in language so 
plain and clear that all may understand, when he says, 
' ' Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter : Fear 
God f and keep" etc. 

The text, in thus solving the problem of life, begins, 
where all true philosophy and reason would have us 
begin, with the idea of God, the greatest and most 
comprehensive of all ideas, being the original source 
and fountain from which this stupendous universe, 
with all its parts, has proceeded. Constituted, too, 
as we are, we can not rid ourselves of the idea of God 
without doing violence to ourselves, however much we 
may desire to do so. Being one of the original 
conceptions of the mind, it can not, by any resolution 
of the will, or aversion we may have to it, be laid 
aside, or dismissed, so that it shall never again come 
up in our thoughts, or awaken our fears. No one can 
rule God out of the universe, or even out of his own 
heart. And although the attempt has been made 
again and again, by wicked and ungodly men, it has 
signally failed ; for there can be no doubt but that the 
idea of God is to-day more deeply rooted in the 
hearts and consciences of men generally than it has 
ever been. Like all the other intuitions of the mind, 
it has grown in intensity and clearness with the prog- 
ress and culture of the race, and has become so 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 2*J\ 

thoroughly interwoven with the whole fabric and text- 
ure of society, as to pervade every department of 
life. Nor need we wonder at it when we consider 
how the idea of God has swayed and ruled the world 
in all the cycles through which it has passed, whether 
barbarous or civilized ! 

Poets and philosophers have not been slow to ob- 
serve the prevalence of this idea, and have made great 
account of it, as we may infer from their writings. 
Thus we hear Cicero, one of the oracles of antiquity, 
say: " There is no nation so barbarous, no man so 
savage, as that some apprehension of the gods has 
not tinctured his mind. Vicious customs have, in- 
deed, led men into error concerning them, but all 
have believed there is a Divine Power. ,, In like 
manner Plutarch, another oracle of antiquity, says, 
with equal emphasis : u Exploring the world, you may 
possibly find cities without walls, or kings, or coins, 
or schools, or theaters ; but a city without worship 
no one ever saw." "And if," in the language of 
another, "there have at all times been a few excep- 
tions, they were senseless men : as monstrous creatures 
as a lion would be without courage ; or an ox without 
horns; or a bird without wings; and yet, after all, 
even they testify of God." Looking at the subject, 
therefore, in the light of history, we may say that the 
idea of God is a part of the furniture of the mind, 
and lies so deeply imbedded in our nature that it can 
never be eradicated or laid aside as a relic of a barbar- 
ous age, whatever may be the changes and revolu- 
tions of society, or the advancement that may be made 
in the arts and sciences. 

Seeing, then, how firm a hold the idea of God has 



2J2 THE HISTORY OF 

had upon the world in all its past history, and how the 
minds of men, whether learned or unlearned, have 
been tinctured with it, you should, my young friends, 
make due account of it as you now leave the quiet 
retreat of the study for the more active duties and 
responsibilities of life. It is, indeed, for you to say, 
if it shall be a controlling, governing element in your 
being or not : for it is with this, as with everything 
else that is natural to us, it may be fostered, and cher- 
ished, and strengthened, and intensified, or it may, on 
the other hand, be repressed and smothered, and so 
circumscribed in its operation, as to have but little 
effect upon us. Any one who will but notice the con- 
duct of men with the slightest care and attention, will 
be convinced of the truth of this in his daily experience 
and observation. For we all know there is a great 
difference in men in this respect, some being so af- 
fected and influenced with the idea of God, as to live 
and act with a constant reference to him in all they 
say and do ; whilst there are others again, who seem 
to have no realizing sense that there is any such a being 
as God, and so form and execute their plans as if 
everything depended on them alone. Of the former 
class we have an illustrious example in King David, 
the sweet singer of Israel, who may be regarded as 
expressing the views and feelings of all good men, 
when he says, in language so simple that a child can 
understand it, and yet so sublime as to challenge the 
admiration of all : " O Lord, thou hast searched me, 
and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and 
mine up-rising, thou understandest my thought afar off 
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and 
art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 273 

word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it 

altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, 

and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too 

wonderful for me ; it is high, I can not attain unto it. 

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I 

flee from thy presence ? If I ascend up into heaven, 

thou art there : if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou 

art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and 

dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there 

shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold 

me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me ; 

even the night shall be light about jne. Yea, the 

darkness hideth not from thee ; but the night shineth 

as the day ; the darkness and the light are both alike 

to thee." 

Such a clear conception of the being of God, and 

overpowering sense of his presence, is not the natural 

outgrowth of the heart, corrupt and depraved as it is; 

but is the result of deep study, and the cultivation of 

the divinity within, of which we have already spoken. 

For as the natural thirst we all have for knowledge 

may be intensified, and as the sense of the true, the 

beautiful and the good may be so refined and educated 

as to make the nicest distinctions, and experience the 

most exquisite joy and delight, so the idea of God, 

which enters into our nature as one of its constituent 

elements, may, in like manner, be so cultivated and 

cherished as to take such a possession of the mind as 

to sway and control it in all its activities. To do this, 

it is necessary to give it such free scope and exercise 

that it may grow with our growth and strengthen with 

our strength. Where this is the case, man's nature 

unfolds and develops normally, and he becomes, as he 
18 



274 THE HISTORY OF 

was designed to be, the noblest of God's works, re- 
flecting, in the most resplendent manner, the image of 
his Creator. And it is, my young friends, to the cul- 
tivation and attainment of such true manhood and 
nobility that I would, on this interesting occasion, 
arouse, if possible, all the latent energies and aspira- 
tions of your nature. 

There is much, also, in the world around us, although 
it is the abode of sin and transgression, that is calcula- 
ted to develop and give power to the idea of God 
within us. It may, indeed, be said that everything 
above, around, beneath and within us, when properly 
viewed, reminds us of God. It is for this reason that 
the heathen, who have not the written word, are inex- 
cusable for their idolatry, because, when they might 
have known God from his works, they glorified him 
not as God, but became vain in their imaginations, 
and changed the truth of God into a lie, and wor- 
shiped and served the creature more than the Creator, 
who is above all, blessed forever more. To a thought- 
ful mind, everything in the vast universe is calculated 
to arouse and strengthen the consciousness which we 
have of God. Thus, if we lift our eyes to the heavens, 
above us every star, and planet, or world, that rolls in 
the immensity of space, bears witness of God, and 
says, with one voice, the hand that made its is divine. 
Or, if we turn to the earth and view it in all its parts, 
its mountains, and hills, and valleys, and rivers, and 
lakes, and seas, and oceans ; if we look at the extent 
of vegetation and see how it is adapted to the support 
of animal life ; if we contemplate the vast variety of 
creatures, great and small, that live and move upon the 
earth ; the unity and diversity, the beauty and har- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 275 

mony, and the fitness or adaptation, which everything 
has for a certain end ; and then look in upon ourselves 
and see how fearfully and wonderfully we have been 
made, we will see evident traces, at every step of our 
investigation, of the wisdom, goodness and power of 
God, so that there is nothing, from the smallest atom 
that we tread under our feet to the most ponderous^ 
world, that is not calculated to give strength and 
power to the idea of God within us. 

And if you, my young friends, will but review your 
past lives, short and pleasant as they may have been, 
and especially that portion which you have spent in 
the classic halls of Heidelberg, you will see that 
everything connected with your education has had the 
direct tendency of leading you to a fuller recognition 
of God, and of the relations which you sustain to 
him. All the studies which you have been pursuing, 
whether they have been those pertaining to mind or 
matter, philosophy or literature, science or art, the 
natural or the supernatural, the true, the good or 
the beautiful, the physical, mental, moral or social, 
in short, every study laid down in the curriculum, not 
even excluding the classics or mathematics, has been 
made to center in God, by and through whom, and for 
whom, are all things. And I may here say for my- 
self and colleagues, that the one great idea which we 
have desired to impress upon your minds more deeply 
than anything else, and which we hope may be the 
guiding star of your life, has not been the love of 
fame, or science, or wealth, or art, or scholarship, or 
distinction, desirable as these things may be in them- 
selves ; but a proper knowledge of God, and of his 
Son Jesus Christ, whom to know aright is life eternal, 



276 THE HISTORY OF 

knowing full well that if this be accomplished, all else 
that is true and good will be comprehended in it. 

Such, now, being the prominence which both reason 
and revelation give to the idea of God, we are next 
led to consider the effect it ought to have upon us, or 
the duty we owe to him, expressed in my text as 
embracing the fear of God, and the keeping of his 
co7nmandments. 

The Bible never abstracts or separates God from 
the work of his hand. It gives no countenance to 
the old notion held and taught by some of the hea- 
then philosophers, that there is an infinite distance be- 
tween God and us ; that the Deity sits enthroned in 
some distant part of the universe, absorbed in the 
contemplation of himself, and that he takes no interest 
in the affairs of this lower world. Instead of such 
dark and comfortless views, we are taught to believe 
that it is in God that we live, move and have our 
continued being, and that his providence extends to, 
and embraces everything, both in heaven and earth, 
and that there is nothing occurs without his will and 
permission. Surely a being like God, who possesses 
every possible perfection and excellence, deserves to 
be held in reverence and fear by all those who are 
round about him. 

When it is said in my text that we are to fear God y 
it does not mean that we are to have such a dread 
and terror of him as to flee from his presence, as if he 
were our enemy, and meant to do us harm. The 
reason why some persons have such slavish fear of 
God, and why they do not desire to retain him in 
their thoughts, arises, no doubt, from the wrong views 
and notions which they have of him. Looking upon 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 277 

him as a cruel and heartless tyrant, who takes pleas- 
ure in inflicting all manner of evil and suffering upon 
his creatures, it is but natural that they should dread 
him as a slave fears his master. With such notions 
of God, it is to be expected that they would have 
such dread and terror of him as would make his 
presence intolerable, and unfit them for any commun- 
ion with him, so that they can have no desire for any 
knowledge of his ways. But why should we thus 
look upon God? Is he not our Father and bountiful 
Benefactor? And has he not, both in our creation 
and preservation, given us the most abundant proofs 
that his thoughts and dealings toward us are those of 
love and mercy? Right views of God are calculated 
to banish all slavish fear from the mind, and encour- 
age us to draw nigh to him in confidence and love as 
a child approaches a kind and affectionate father. 
Hence, when we are commanded to fear God, it 
means that we are to cherish and cultivate such feel- 
ings of reverence, respect, dependence and affection 
toward him as is due from the creature to the Creator, 
who is God over all, blessed forever more. 

It is such a fear of God as has characterized the 
good and holy of all ages that I would exhort you, 
my young friends, to cherish and cultivate, as that 
which is essential to true greatness and nobility of 
character. Constituted as we are, no one can attain 
true manhood so long as he ignores, or treats with 
disrespect, the God that made him, and confers upon 
him all the comforts and blessings which he enjoys. 
He may have many other accomplishments and attain- 
ments, such as wealth, learning, honor and refine- 
ment \ but if he separates hirnself from God, and 



278 THE HISTORY OF 

substitutes anything else in his place, around which 
he moves as the center of his attraction, he is like a 
star thrown out of its orbit, and can never accomplish 
the true end and object of his being. Hence the 
fear of God should enter into all your thinking, feel- 
ing and acting, and in all your plans, schemes and pur- 
poses of life, as one of its constituent elements, 
without which there must, in the nature of the case, 
be incompleteness, imperfection and defect of char- 
acter. It is, doubtless, for this reason that the wise 
man, in solving the difficult problem of life, gives the 
prominence he does to the fear of God, which implies 
a deep and abiding conviction of his being and 
presence, and of our obligations to him as our Crea- 
tor, Preserver, Benefactor and Redeemer. 

And when the fear of God exists in the sense in 
which we have explained it, the keeping of his com- 
mandme7its will always follow as a natural and inevit- 
able consequence. No two things can, in fact, be 
more closely united, inasmuch as they stand related 
to each other as cause and effect, antecedent and con- 
sequent, so that the one being given the other must 
of necessity follow. Hence the practical duties of 
religion comprehended in keeping the commandments 
of God, are not to be regarded as mere appendages 
thrown around it in the way of tinsel or ornament to 
give attraction to it ; but as the necessary outgrowth 
and embodiment of its inherent life and power. The 
two are complemental of each other, and can never 
exist apart and separate. 

So the idea of God, as our Creator and Upholder, 
always carries with it the corresponding idea of de- 
pendence and obligation on the part of his rational 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 279 

and intelligent creatures. And where there is this 
obligation, there are laws, precepts and command- 
ments which are to be kept and obeyed, inasmuch as 
a law without obedience is a nullity. Hence it is that 
such importance is attached in my text to the keeping 
of the commandments of God, which is declared to 
be the chief, the whole duty of man. 

And now, my young friends, members of the Class 
of 1878, the time has come for me to speak for my- 
self and colleagues our last parting words. For sev- 
eral years we have been traversing together the broad 
and delectable fields of science and literature, gather- 
ing here and there flowers as we have been going 
along. On our part we have endeavored to lead you 
to the crystal fountain of truth, and inspire in you a 
love of the true, good and beautiful. That we may 
not have accomplished all that is in the power of man 
to do, and that we ourselves have desired, we readily 
admit ; yet our efforts have been unremitting, and 
our solicitude great, that you might wisely improve 
the opportunities you have had for obtaining a liberal 
education, and of laying the foundation of a character 
that would fit you for a life of great usefulness and 
happiness in the world. 

In the good providence of God we have been per- 
mitted to journey together until we have reached the 
point that is henceforth to divide us, so that we now 
become two bands— you passing out of and from the 
quiet retreats of college life to the more responsible 
duties that await you, whilst we remain at our posts 
with others to fill your vacant places. 

That we should have a deep solicitude that our own 
cherished hopes, with those of your friends, should 



280 "» THE HISTORY OF 

be fully realized, is but natural, and we can assure 
you, that let your lot or fortune be what it may, we 
shall always rejoice to hear of your success in life, 
and that should a kind word or counsel be asked or 
needed, to help you on in your journey, it will be 
cheerfully given. 

Nor can we suppress the deep emotion that swells 
in our breast at the thought of separation, as we look 
beyond into the distant future, and ask tremblingly 
and anxiously, " Shall we meet again," and " gather 
at the river, at the river by the throne of God?" 
Shall we, when the work of life is done, each one for 
himself and herself, bring the trophies we may win, 
and lay them down at Jesus' feet, there to be crowned 
together as those that have kept the faith, and fought 
victoriously the battles of life. 

Whilst you have been with us we have diligently 
sought to direct your paths, and guard your step 
against the many dangers and perils of youth. And 
if we have at times seemed to restrain your steps, 
and circumscribe your enjoyments, so that you have 
been disposed to regard the discipline too rigid, you 
will see, as you advance in life and learn more of its 
stern realities, that it was not only meant for good, 
but that it was the course which duty marked out for 
us as the guardians of your youth. 

But we must not linger ; our last words must be 
spoken, hard as it is to perform the task. Would 
that I could engrave them so indelibly upon your 
minds that no vicissitudes of fortune, whether of joy, 
or sorrow, of prosperity or adversity, could ever blot 
them from your recollection. But what words can I 
speak that will be more appropriate than those of my 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 28 1 

text which contains such a beautiful epitome of the 
work of life : * ' Let us hear the conclusion of the whole 
matter: Fear God y and keep his commandments, for 
this is the whole duty of man," If you do this, your 
life will be a grand and glorious success, and your 
names will stand forever recorded in the book of life. 
Therefore take the name of God with you, as you 
now go out from us ; take it with you in your several 
callings in life ; take it with you at home, and abroad, 
in the public concourse, and quiet retreat ; take it 
with you where'er you go ; for it will be to you a 
tower of strength and support, as well as a source of 
joy and comfort. 

" Take it with you, do not stumble, 
Though your path be dark as night; 
There's a star to guide the humble ; 
Fear the Lord and do the right. 

Let the road be rough and dreary, 
And its end far out of sight, 
Foot it bravely, strong or weary; 
Fear the Lord and do the right. 

Perish policy and cunning, 
Perish all that fear the light ; 
Whether losing, whether winning, 
Fear the Lord and do the right. 

Trust no party, sect or faction, 
Trust no leaders in the fight ; 
But in every word or action, 
Fear the Lord and do the right. 

Some will hate you, some will love you, 
Some will flatter, some will slight ; 
Cease from man and look above you; 
Fear the Lord and do the right. " 



BACCALAUREATE SERMON 



TO THE 



Plass of 1879. 



Names of Class : 



Silas M. Douglass, Classical, 
Lewis Feighner, " 

John C. Roger, " . 

Owen Yost, ■ ' 

William Dewald, Scientific, 
John K. Rohn, " 

William D. Shultz, " . 
Benj. N. Winings, " 

Elisa Graybell, " . 

Florence Van Fleet, 



a 



Lucas, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Bellevue, Ohio. 
Somerset, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Tiffin, Ohio. 
Norton, Ohio. 
Germano, Ohio. 
Three Rivers, Mich. 
Wauseon, Ohio. 



(282) 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 283 

SERMON. 

"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power 
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."— Romans i. 16. 

We have here an open and manly confession of 
Christianity on the part of Paul, a distinguished min- 
ister and Apostle of Christ. Born and educated in 
the Jewish faith, and being exceedingly zealous of 
the traditions of his fathers before his conversion, his 
testimony is very important. Men seldom change 
their religious beliefs when they once become so fixed 
and settled as Paul was in the faith of his fathers, 
unless they have some sufficient reason for so doing. 

There was, also, much in the Jewish religion to 
commend it to the Apostle. It was the religion of 
his fathers, and had come down to him with the most 
sacred memories, and conclusive proofs of its divine 
origin. It was the religion of the patriarchs Abra- 
ham, Isaac and Jacob, of Moses and Joshua, of Sam- 
uel and Elijah, of David and Solomon, of prophets 
and holy men ; all of which threw a charm around it, 
and made it exceedingly dear to every Jew. Hence 
we may readily imagine that it required a strong 
struggle and effort for the Apostle to renounce a re- 
ligion that had so much in its favor, and embrace one 
that was so generally despised and hated as the Chris- 
tian religion was at that time. Nor can we suppose 
that he would ever have made the change which he 
did, especially when we remember how bitter his 
opposition was at first to Christianity, had he not 
had the most conclusive and satisfactory evidence 
of the superiority of the one over the other. 



284 THE HISTORY OF 

That his conversion was sudden and miraculous, 
and not in the ordinary course of events; that it 
occurred amid the most wonderful demonstrations of 
the divine power and presence, does not in the least 
invalidate the testimony of the Apostle in the text, 
inasmuch as sufficient time had elapsed since it had 
taken place to enable him to form a calm and sober 
judgment in the case. Hence, when he says, "I am 
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ " we are not to 
regard this as the sudden outburst, or momentary 
excitement, of one who had just been born into the 
kingdom of God, but as the calm, deliberate con- 
fession of one who knew whereof he affirmed. 

The sufferings and trials which Paul had been called 
to endure for the sake and cause of Christ were exceed- 
ingly severe. The Jews, seeing the effect which his 
conversion had, and the zeal and boldness with which 
he declared and defended the new faith, were greatly 
exasperated against him, and did all in their power to 
arrest and put him to death ; so that wherever he went 
he had the most violent opposition to encounter. To 
persist and continue steadfast in the course upon which 
he had entered, in the face of such opposition, was a 
trial of no ordinary kind. He was indeed challenged 
at every step he took to stop and consider if the sac- 
rifices he was making were. not greater and more than 
were required under the circumstances. And yet none 
of these things moved him; for he had counted the 
cost, and was ready to make any and every sacrifice 
that might be required of him sooner than deny the 
name and cause of Christ, whose ambassador he was. 

Christianity, being at this time in its infancy, was 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 285 

called upon to encounter great opposition. It is so 
with all the great changes and revolutions that take 
place in society ; so that ideas that are new and start- 
ling, and undertake to overthrow the established order 
of things, are not only of slow growth, but are often 
baptized in blood. And especially was this so with 
Christianity, which was not only new, but in direct 
opposition to the prevalent superstitions and false 
religions of the day. For any one, therefore, to iden- 
tify himself with it, and make an open confession of 
it, was enough to bring down upon him the greatest 
reproach and derision. And in no place was this 
carried to a greater extent than in the populous, 
wealthy and accomplished city of Rome, the metrop- 
olis of the world, whose orators and philosophers did all 
in their power to make Christianity odious and con- 
temptible in the estimation of the people, so that it 
was an act of great heroism and bravery on the part 
of the Apostle to make the confession he did in the 
text, saying, ' ' / am not ashamed of the gospel of 
Christ" etc. 

To confess and defend the truth, in the face of the 
opprobium and reproach often cast upon it by an 
excited and corrupt populace, is one of the hardest 
and most difficult things to do. It is indeed no un- 
common thing to see men brave upon the field of 
battle, and rush with impetuosity into the very jaws 
of death, and yet not have the moral courage to 
oppose what is wrong, or stand up in defense of what 
is right. And if there is occasionally one who, like 
Socrates, will stand out singly and alone, and refuse 
to sanction what is manifestly a violation of right and 



286 THE HISTORY OF 

justice, history is sure to award him the meed of praise 
which his conduct deserves, and hold him up as an 
example worthy of imitation. 

Such is evidently the case with Paul in the instance 
referred to in my text. His conduct at the time was 
altogether unaccountable to the opposers of Chris- 
tianity. In their blindness and prejudice they could 
not understand why he should oppose the religion of 
the Empire, and of his fathers for one whose founder 
had only recently been crucified as a malefactor, and 
whose doctrines were held in contempt and scorn by 
the mass of the people. And yet, looking back as 
we do over the centuries that have passed, and see- 
ing .the triumphs which Christianity has won, and the 
blessings it has conferred upon the world, our admi- 
ration of the Apostle is almost unbounded, and we 
are constrained to regard him as one of the most illus- 
trious moral heroes of the past. 

And I may add that Christianity has a great many 
similar examples to which it can refer, which, if they 
are not as illustrious as that of Paul, are sufficiently 
so to establish its divine character. The fact is, there 
is no cause that has ever arisen in the world that num- 
bers so many martyrs, confessors and adherents, as 
Christianity. Wherever it has been established it has 
always gained for itself a great name and power. 
And this, too, it has done in the midst of the fiercest 
opposition, which, instead of arresting its progress, 
has only contributed to its growth. Somehow or 
other there is a charm, or magnetism, in the name 
of Christ, notwithstanding all the attempts that have 
been made to cast reproach and odium upon it, that 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 287 

attracts and binds men to it with a power that noth- 
ing can resist, so that there have always been those 
who have not only been ready to confess it, but even 
to die for it, as Paul was, if the sacrifice were required. 
Surely a religion like this challenges our most serious 
and thoughtful consideration, and if there is any thing, 
my young friends, members of the class of 1879, ^at 
I can say in this, my last and parting discourse, that 
shall be calculated to intensify your interest in it, and 
lead you to such a candid and thorough examination 
of its claims as to result in your cordial acceptation of 
it as the power of God unto salvation, I have no doubt 
it will be a matter of as much rejoicing to you as it 
will be of gratification to me. 

Considering the great importance which must ever 
attach itself to the subject of religion, I regard it em- 
inently appropriate to call your attention on the pres- 
ent occasion to the superiority of the Christian religion 
over every other, and to hold up to your view as 
worthy of imitation the noble confession which Paul 
makes of it in the words of my text. 

Constituted as we are, we all need and must have 
a religion, inasmuch as we have wants, instincts and 
aspirations that can only be met and satisfied by that 
which is spiritual. As the body can not be fed upon 
intellectual food, nor the mind nourished upon what 
is material, so the heart has its longings, which can 
only be satisfied by communion with God. Hence it 
is that wherever we find man we always find him 
a worshiper at some shrine or altar; and if he is not 
able to grasp the idea of God as he is revealed unto 
us in the Bible, he will still feel after him, if haply he 



288 THE HISTORY OF 

may find him, and will not rest satisfied without some 
form of worship, even though it be a false one. And 
although there are those who decry all forms of re- 
ligion, and try to persuade themselves and others that 
they are perfectly indifferent to the whole subject, yet 
it is evident that they are deceiving themselves, and 
that they, no less than others, fall back in helpless 
dependence upon some object or persons from whom 
they expect aid and support in every time of* need. 
It being true, therefore, that we all need and must 
have a religion, it becomes us to weigh the subject 
well in all its bearings, and to make choice out of the 
many forms that have been devised, and that have 
prevailed more or less extensively, of that which 
bears most plainly the impress of divinity on its 
face, and is the most fully adapted to our wants and 
necessities. 

Here, however, we are met with a most singular 
feat, which we can not help noticing as we pass 
along, and one, too, to which it is hard to give a 
rational explanation, that there are so many young 
men in our colleges and institutions of learning, and 
in the different professions, who stand aloof from all 
religious associations, and who, if they have faith in 
Christianity, as we believe they have, still treat it 
with nothing more than a mere outward respect. 
That there are not a few of this class is apparent to 
all close observers. So common, indeed, is it that 
there are some who are led to believe that Christian- 
ity is either unfavorable to learning and scientific 
attainments, or else the educated do not need it as 
much as those who have not been so highly favored. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 289 

Believing, as I do, that this singular fact is to be 
attributed largely to the influence of association, and 
to the want of a candid consideration of the claims of 
Christianity, I shall now proceed to mention some 
things which go to show that a confession of it, such 
as Paul makes in the text, is not only rational and 
commendable in the highest degree, but such as we 
and all men should make if we act wisely and con- 
siderately. 

In doing this, however, I would not have you to 
infer that I do it in the way of defense, as if I had 
the least suspicion of the weakness of Christianity, or 
that its towers and fortresses needed any new or addi- 
tional support to keep it from falling. Upon this 
point I have no doubt whatever, after a most thorough 
examination, that the evidences which we have of the 
truth of the Christian religion are altogether sufficient, 
when properly considered, to produce moral certainty 
and conviction ; so that, if men do not believe in it as 
the power of God unto salvation, it is not because it 
is irrational to do so, but because they allow their 
judgment in the case to be perverted, and thus come 
to a false conclusion. And although it is true that 
there have been, and still are, objections that have 
been brought against Christianity with great force 
and adroitness, as there have been against everything 
else that is good, yet these have all been so fully and 
fairly met as to make belief in it perfectly rational, 
whilst unbelief, however weak and wavering, must be 
regarded as inexcusable and culpable. 

In giving the reasons, therefore, why Paul and all 
true Christians are not ashamed to avow their belief 
19 



29O THE HISTORY OF 

in Christianity, I would have you, my young friends, 
enter with me into its sacred precincts, to see and 
examine for yourselves the foundation upon which it 
rests, to scan the building in all its parts, to behold 
its towers, to mark well its bulwarks, and consider its 
palaces, to see if it is not the grandest and most glo- 
rious system of religion that has ever been devised, 
in the hope that your admiration and interest in it 
may become so intensified as to lead you to embrace 
it as your only hope and comfort in life and death, 
and to tell your convictions and experience of its sur- 
passing excellence to the generations that are to 
come. And, in doing this, I would remark, 

In the first place, that there is in the person and char- 
acter of Christ] the founder of Christianity \ that which 
commands our highest respect and admiration. The 
history of the past furnishes us with many examples 
of true greatness and excellence. Every age and 
nation has had its poets, sages, heroes, legislators, phi- 
losophers, patriots and philanthropists, whose praises 
will be sung to the end of time. And yet many and 
varied as* have been the virtues and excellencies of 
those whom the world is pleased to honor as the good 
and great, there is none among them all like unto 
Christ, who occupies a position in the moral world 
analagous to that of the sun in the natural world, 
which we are wont to regard as the center and source 
of light and heat to the great system of worlds of 
which we form a part. Take Christ away from the 
world, and blot out all the light and truth which he 
has shed upon it, and you thereby bring a pall of 
darkness over it as cheerless as that which over- 



HEIDELBERG "COLLEGE. 2gi 

spreads the nations that neither know God nor the 
destiny that awaits them. 

The more we study the character of Christ and 
learn of him, the more we are astonished and over- 
awed by what we see. There is no one with whom 
we can compare him. He is the miracle of the ages, 
than whom there can be no greater — above all praise 
and eulogy. His birth, life, poverty, miracles, doc- 
trine, patience, humility, meekness, sufferings, death, 
resurrection, and ascension into heaven, all impress 
us with the singularity of his person. And yet, 
withal, the picture is so original, natural and tran- 
scendently excellent, that it is impossible not to be 
charmed by it. He is the living embodiment of all 
that is good and excellent, the grand ideal to which 
humanity has been looking, and after which it has 
been striving, without having ever been able to attain 
it — the one absolutely good and perfect, the Savior 
of the world — and as such he will always be loved 
and revered. In this aspect of the subject, Christ 
stands in striking contrast with all other characters. 
Men like Alexander, Caesar and Napoleon; Homer 
and Shakespeare; Socrates and Plato; Bacon and 
Locke; Wellington and Washington, come upon the 
stage of action, and startle the world for a time with 
the splendor of their genius and the grandeur of their 
exploits, and then pass away and are soon forgotten. 
Not so, however, with Christ, whose name will be 
proclaimed, loved and adored by increasing num- 
bers as time rolls on. View it as we may, there is 
something in the character of Christ that surpasses 
all that is human, and that will always be admired 
and loved. 



292 THE HISTORY OF 

It is also a remarkable fact that infidels of every 
shade of unbelief, whilst they have doubted and dis- 
puted many things connected with Christianity, have 
almost uniformly borne testimony to the superior 
excellency of the character of Christ. Thus Jose- 
phus, the great Jewish historian, who lived in the 
latter part of the first century, refers to Christ as a 
wise man, if it be proper to speak of him as a man, 
for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such 
men as receive the truth with pleasure \" So the cele- 
brated German Rationalist, Strauss, perhaps the most 
noted infidel of modern times, in speaking of Christ, 
says, "that he remains the highest model of religion 
within our thoughts, and that it as absurd to think of 
religion without Christ as it is of poetry without regard 
to Homer or Shakespeare." Rosseau, a noted French 
infidel, calls it blindness to compare, as many do, the 
son of Sophroniscus to the son of Mary, and says that if 
the life and death of Socrates were those of a sage, the 
life and death of Jesus are those of a God. And Na- 
poleon, than whom there never was a better judge of 
character, said to General Bertrand of Christ: "I 
know men, and I tell you that Jesus Christ is not a man. 
Supetficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and 
the founders of empires, and the gods of other religions, 
but that resemblance does not exist." 

I might go on and give the testimony of eighteen 
centuries in regard to Christ. It would be all the 
same, that there is none like unto him in the excel- 
lency of his character and moral perfections. And as 
such is the fact, admitted by infidels as well as Chris- 
tians, that the character of Christ surpasses all others 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 293 

in purity and goodness, it is easy to see that Chris- 
tianity has, in this respect at least, a decided advan. 
tage over all other systems of religion and philosophy, 
whose founders have, in many instances, been char, 
acterized by such weakness, imperfection and prof- 
ligacy, as to make their followers blush at the recital 
of the crimes of which they were guilty. Even the 
very gods of Greece and Rome themselves are 
charged in their mythologies with such passions 
and criminal acts as make it impossible for any one 
to love and worship them. Not so, however, with 
Christianity; for here we have, in the person of 
Christ, its head, all that is lovely and attractive, true 
and good, the most perfect and excellent of all beings, 
the fairest among ten thousand, and the one alto- 
gether to be desired ; so that there is nothing of 
which any one need be ashamed. 

Leaving now the character of Christ, and passing 
on to the religion which he has established, I would 
remark, in the next place, that there is nothing here, 
when rightly viewed, of which any one need be ashamed. 
It was to this that Paul especially referred in the text, 
when he says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of 
Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every 
one that believeth" By which he evidently meant 
what we understand by Christianity, the form of re- 
ligion introduced and established in the world by 
Christ, of which we have a record in the New Testa- 
ment Scriptures. And if what I have said of the per- 
son and character of Christ be true, that there is none 
like unto him in wisdom and moral excellence; if he 
transcends, in the superiority of his character, Moses, 



294 THE HISTORY OF 

Zoroaster, Confucius, Mohammed, and the founders 
of religion and empires in general ; if it be not wrong 
to institute a comparison between him and them, then 
we may infer, a priori, that the religion which he has 
founded must, like himself, surpass in moral grandeur 
every thing that is the work of man. 

And that this is so must be apparent to all who 
are acquainted with the results of what may be called 
the science of religion, the object of which is to classify 
and arrange systematically all the knowledge we have 
pertaining to this subject. And as religion enters 
more deeply into the life of man, and affects his well- 
being more materially than anything else, it is pre- 
sumable that it would be studied more thoroughly, 
so that all that is peculiar and distinctive in the differ- 
ent forms, which have or do now prevail, would be 
brought out so clearly and fully as to enable each 
one to form an intelligent judgment upon the subject, 
just as in other departments of knowledge. This be- 
ing so, it ought to be no difficult task to institute 
such a comparison between Christianity and the 
religions of the world as to know which has the 
strongest claims upon us. 

And as the old religions of the Assyrians, Baby- 
lonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and many of 
the smaller tribes, have long since died out, and are 
now only known in history, showing that they were 
not adapted to, nor designed to be, the religion of 
the world, although all of them had some elements 
of truth in them, and some of them beautiful cre- 
ations of the imagination, yet, being obsolete, I shall 
pass them by, and refer only to such as are existing 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 295 

at the present day, as Judaism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, 
Persianism, Confucianism, Mohammedanism and Mor- 
monism ; to which it may, perhaps, be proper to add 
Deism, Pantheism, Rationalism and Positivism; of 
which we hear much in these last days, although they 
have no established form of belief or mode of worship. 
And, although all these exist by the side of Chris- 
tianity, and number in some instances a great many 
adherents, all that is necessary is to place them in 
such a position as to bring out sharply the points of 
difference, to see the immense superiority of the one 
over the other. This being done, it will at once be- 
come apparent that the difference is not merely one 
of degree, as some maintain, but of kind; so that if 
Christianity ultimately prevails, as I have no doubt it 
will, all the others will gradually be taken up by 
it, and disappear one after another, as many have 
already done. 

What the points of difference are between Chris- 
tianity and the other religions with which it stands 
opposed, it is not possible to state fully in the short 
time allotted us. All that can be expected of us is 
merely to state the salient points, and leave it to each 
one to carry out in his own mind to their logical con- 
sequence the thoughts to which we may give expres- 
sion. And, in doing this, I would remark, 

First, that the influence or working of these systems 
is as widely different as the systems themselves, afford- 
ing a practical illustration of the well-known maxim, 
that every tree is known by its fruit. A system that 
is good will invariably produce results that are cor- 
respondingly good, whilst one that is of the opposite 



296 THE HISTORY OF 

character will produce evil effects in proportion as it 
is vitiated. If we now apply this test to the subject 
in hand, and compare the practical results of Chris- 
tianity, not with Brahmanisra, Buddhism or Mormon- 
ism, but with the very best form of religion devised 
by man, such as Mohammedanism, Deism, or any of 
the humanitarian schemes of the day, all of which 
have borrowed what is really good in them from the 
teachings of Christ and his apostles, we can not help 
seeing that the argument is decidedly in favor of 
Christianity. Nor is there any one, not even except- 
ing men like Ingersoll, who are going through the 
land doing work like that of Voltaire and the French 
infidels, sapping and undermining the established prin- 
ciples of order, government and religion, who would, 
if put to the test, be willing to see Christianity sup- 
pressed to give place to Mohammedanism, Deism, 
Nihilism, or to infidelity itself. The very thought 
is shocking to our better nature. Without pursuing 
the argument any further, I may sum up all that is 
necessary under this part of my subject by giving the 
well known reply of Queen Victoria to one of the 
princes of Africa, who inquired of her the secret of 
England's greatness, when she said so beautifully, 
tersely and truthfully, ' 'My country owes its greatness 
to the Bible.' 1 So we may say with equal truth, that 
all that is good and elevating among us is the result 
of the mighty working of the gospel of Christ, which 
is the power of God unto salvation. Take this away, 
and shut out its benign and heavenly influences, and 
I care not what other religion is substituted in its 
place, the result will be disastrous in the extreme. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 297 

So, if we compare the object of worship which Chris- 
tianity presents to the gods of other religions, we are 
equally impressed with its superiority. Any one at all 
acquainted with the God of the Bible, who is every- 
where presented to us as the self-existent and eternal 
Jehovah ; possessed of every possible perfection ; in- 
finite in wisdom, power, goodness and holiness ; the 
Creator, Preserver and Upholder of all things, must 
see that there is a being here who, as soon as he is 
known, must command our respect, love and rever- 
ence. It is not so, however, with the gods of the 
heathen world ; for who would ever think of loving 
a god like Jupiter, Pluto, Venus, Bacchus, Neptune, 
Moloch, or any of the gods of India, China, Africa, or 
the islands of the sea. No one with proper culture and 
self-respect would ever think of paying homage to 
such imaginary deities, or believe that they could 
afford aid in time of need or distress. Constituted as 
we are, it is not possible for us to love and adore what 
is not worthy of our love and adoration, and does not 
stand in right relations to us. Hence it is that the 
Deist, who separates his god from the world, so that 
he has no direct communication with his creatures, 
never speaks to them, does not feel for them in their 
sorrows, or hear their cries ; nor the Naturalist, who 
enshrines his god in the mechanism of the world, and 
knows nothing of him except as he manifests himself 
in the laws and forces of nature; nor the Pantheist, 
who so confounds his god with the world as to strip 
him of all personality; nor the Rationalist, whose god 
is human reason deified; nor the Positivist, whose 
god is unknown and unknowable — nor can any one 



298 THE HISTORY OF 

who worships a being different from Jehovah cherish 
the affection for the object of his worship which the 
Christian does. The fact is, all the religions of the 
world leave the heart cold and chilly, or else they 
suppress and dry up the affections and emotions of 
the soul, and strip it of all that is noble and godlike; 
all of which is different with Christianity, which pre- 
sents the God, whom we worship and adore, as a mer- 
ciful and gracious being, reconciling the world to 
himself through Christ the Mediator, comforting and 
consoling all who put their trust in him with the sym- 
pathy and affection of a loving Father. All must 
feel that the difference here is world-wide. 

I remark again, that the originality and perfection of 
Christianity, as compared with other religions, is such 
as to commend it to our highest regard and admira- 
tion. Christianity, although perfectly adapted to man 
in all the relations and conditions of life, is not the 
outgrowth or contrivance of human thought or inge- 
nuity. It is not a development of any one, nor of 
all the systems of religion and philosophy which 
preceded it. It did not spring from the civilization 
of Greece, Rome or Egypt; nor from all of them 
combined. It is not the product of the sages and 
legislators of antiquity. Nor was it even the offshoot 
of Judaism, the purest of all the ancient religions ; 
for as soon as it was fully established in the world, 
Judaism disappeared, as the type is always lost in the 
reality which it foreshadows. And although it has 
always been in the world in some form or other, and 
may be said to be as old as the race itself, having 
been made known to our first parents whilst in Para- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 299 

dise, repeated to the patriarchs, prophets and holy 
men of old, until the fullness of time when it was 
ushered in the world in all its glory by the coming of 
the Son of God ; although it thus comes to us through 
all the ages as the folded bud, the expanding flower, 
and the ripened fruit ; yet it is unlike everything that 
has the impress of human weakness and imperfection, 
being original and perfect in all its parts and provision, 
giving the fullest proof that it is not the work of man, 
but of God, for which reason no one should be 
ashamed to make an open confession and avowal of it. 
I might go on and speak of many other things con- 
nected with my subject, showing the superiority of 
Christianity over every other form of religion, for 
volumes have been written upon it without exhaust- 
ing the theme ; I might speak of the accumulated 
evidence which eighteen centuries give of its truth 
and divine origin, evidences gathered from a thousand 
sources, showing the power it has of working silently 
and irresistibly into all the avenues and arteries of our 
social system, in science, art, commerce, literature 
and civilization, permeating everything with its own 
peculiar life, effecting the greatest changes in its prog- 
ress, and yet all the while preserving its own identity, 
leaving in its track, empires, governments, institutions, 
customs and systems of philosophy that have grown 
old and become obsolete, and yet itself always youth- 
ful and vigorous, conquering and yet never conquered. 
I might speak of the triumphs it has achieved, in 
subduing and winning over to itself, by the power of 
truth, barbarous tribes and nations, until it now has 
about one-half of the globe under its influence, show- 



3<DO THE HISTORY OF 

ing thereby its adaptedness to become the religion of 
the world. I might speak of its triumphs in the field 
of controversy, and show how it has met every foe 
with which it has been brought into contact, whether 
from history, science or philosophy, falsely so-called, 
and given a rational and satisfactory answer, notwith- 
standing the boasts of infidels, to every objection that 
has been brought against it. I might speak ot the 
wonderful power it has of reforming and correcting the 
evils of society, and of promoting order, industry 
and civilization, and how it affiliates with everything 
that tends to the elevation of the race. I might speak 
of the miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles, 
showing that they were the accredited messengers 
through whom God spake to the children of men ; of 
the pure system of morality which it inculcates ; the 
testimony which men like Franklin, Byron, Goethe, 
Humboldt, and a thousand others, have given of its 
excellence; of its adaptation to the intellect, the 
affections, the imagination, the conscience, and the 
will, yea, to man in the totality of his being ; in short, 
I might show how clearly it points out the way which 
we should all live so as to accomplish the true end of 
our being, of the support and succor it affords in 
every condition of life, and of the sweet assurance it 
gives in death of another and better world for all who 
comply with its requirements and provisions : all of 
which would give prominence to it as a religion 
worthy of its author and of our hearty acceptance, 
so that, with the Apostle, we should not be ashamed 
of the gospel of Christ, but regard it a glorious and 
blessed privilege to make a confession of it, even 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 301 

though it should expose us to the taunts and re- 
proaches of men of reprobate minds. 

And now, in view of what has been said, I think 
we must all see the absurdity and impossibility of the 
infidel theory, that Christianity is a human device 
gotten up either as a pious fraud or deception by the 
Apostles and their associates, and that the whole 
story of Christ is nothing more than a fable, standing 
substantially on the same basis with the old Greek 
and Roman mythologies. The very assumption is 
preposterous in the extreme ; for it is not to be sup- 
posed that men, unlettered and unlearned as the 
Apostles were, could ever have originated a character 
so beautiful, so perfect, and yet withal so natural in 
all its parts, like that of Christ. And if they had 
been able to do so, where was there one born among 
men that could have acted out the tragedy; for if 
it required a Homer to write the Iliad ; a Hamlet to 
play the part of Hamlet ; a Newton to compose the 
Principia, it required a Christ to perform all that is 
attributed to him in the gospel narrative. 

And now, ladies and gentlemen of the Class of 
1879, a few words by way of application and I am 
done. What you have heard to-night is but the echo 
of what you have often heard in the class-room and 
in the private intercourse we have had. Heidelberg 
College having been founded as a Christian institution, 
we would not be true to the trust committed to us, 
nor to our own convictions, if we were to ignore or 
allow the religion of Christ to occupy a place in the 
background, as if it were of little or no importance. 
Christianity, being the greatest factor in the world 



3 02 THE HISTORY OF 

for the last eighteen hundred years, no education or 
parting counsel, such as I am expected to give to- 
night, would be complete without some reference to 
it. Hence, I have endeavored to bring out the salient 
points of its superior excellency, in the hope that the 
remarks that have been made may not only afford 
food for thought and reflection in after years, but 
also commend it to your regard. Being reared and 
educated under its influence, and seeing, as you have, 
its practical workings, I feel fully persuaded that you 
all heartily adopt the remark of Franklin, made only 
five weeks before his death, that the "system of 
morality and religion, as left by Christ, is the best the 
world ^ ever saw, or is likely to see." Such being the 
fact, it has claims upon you which you never can, 
and should not if you could, throw off and disregard! 
The world needs it, and you will need it in whatever 
position your lot may be cast. Do not, therefore, 
ever allow yourselves to treat it with indifference, 
or talk lightly of it ; nor connive at the taunts and 
sneers which are often cast upon it by unbelievers, 
but follow its counsel and guidance, assured that it 
will at last conduct you to the haven of peace and rest. 
If you want a model after which to pattern, I 
know of none (Christ excepted) so beautiful in all its 
parts, and so inspiring and animating, as that of Paul, 
to whom reference is had in the text, and in nothing 
more so than in the frank and open confession he 
made of the gospel of Christ Plant yourselves upon 
the same rock, and let the same spirit animate you 
that animated him, and I will venture the prophecy, 
although not divinely Inspired, that your lives will be 
pleasant, peaceful and happy. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 303 

Rest assured that, as you now leave us and go out 
in the busy scenes of life, where you will meet with 
many dangers and temptations, you carry with you 
the love and esteem of all your teachers, and that, 
although separated from us, we will still offer the 
prayer that God may keep you from the snares of 
youth, the coils of infidelity, the trammels of vice, 
and the shame and disgrace of a misspent life, and 
give you courage to stand up. for and do the right, 
regardless either of the favor or frown of the world, 
and that your greatest glory may at last be, 

"That Christ is not ashamed of you." 



THIRD PART. 



One of the sad effects of sin is, that it has brought Death, with all 
its sorrows, into the world. There is no family, or association, 
however sacred, where this fell destroyer has not entered. He is 
no respecter of persons, and not unfrequently takes those first, 
whom we least suspect. Of the nine who have died since our 
connection with the College, in 1866, we saw nothing which indi- 
cated at the time of their graduation that they would soon be the 
victims of death. They were young, hopeful, buoyant, intelligent, 
apparently strong, and entered upon their public career with a bright 
anticipation of a long and useful life. Upon some of them Nature 
had lavished her choicest gifts. They had noble powers, and 
had so developed and strengthened them, that the characters which 
they had formed gave promise of a bright future. And had they 
lived, there is every reason to believe that they would have made 
their mark in the world, and been an honor to their friends and the 
institution at whose crystal fountain they drank. But they have 
fallen, and are now numbered with the dead, verifying the remark, 
often made, that Death loves a shining mark, at which he directs his 
deadly blow. 

But sad as it has been for us to see so many of our alumni stricken 
down in the prime and vigor of life, and mysterious as was the Provi- 
dence which removed them just at the time when they were ready 
to make their influence felt, and when they seemed so much needed, 
we would not murmur, or find fault with Him who doeth all things 
well, knowing, as we do, that "there is no vale of sorrow washed 
with burning tears, but has been made rich with sacred memories 
andiruitful with blessings of life and hope." 

It is with the fond hope of cherishing, and perpetuating the mem- 
ories of those who have so soon been taken from us, and of laying 
fresh garlands on their graves, that we append the following brief 
obituaries : 

20 (305) 



306 THE. HISTORY OF 

MARGARET J. SHELMAN, 

OF THE 

Class of 1854. 



Our knowledge respecting the subject of this obit- 
uary is very meager, notwithstanding the efforts we 
have made to gather information. She was a mem- 
ber of the first class that graduated, and was, there- 
fore, connected with the College in its infancy. She 
came from Covington, Kentucky, to Tiffin, Ohio, for 
the purpose of attending College, and was the daugh- 
ter of a minister in the Methodist Church. She is 
spoken of by those who knew and .still recollect her, 
as a most estimable young" lady, prepossessing in her 
manners, quite studious, well versed in several lan- 
guages, and a good scholar. She returned to Ken- 
tucky after her graduation, and died shortly after, 
greatly lamented by all who had learned to know her. 

She stands at the head of the necrological list of 
the Alumni of Heidelberg College, having been the 
first alumnus that died. It was felt to be a very sad 
and mysterious Providence that removed her so soon 
from earth after her graduation, when she was just 
ready to enter the world and make her influence felt 
in any sphere that might open. But God's ways are 
not as our ways, nor are his thoughts as our thoughts; 
for he moves in a mysterious way his wonders to per- 
form, teaching us this lesson: that however desirable 
a long and useful life may be, his cause will continue 
and prosper whether we live or die. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 307 

We would be glad to give a more extended notice 
if the facts were at hand, especially as the deceased is 
represented as having possessed many excellent quali- 
ties; but, as more than a quarter of a century has 
passed since her graduation, leaving no one to tell 
the story of her life, and as we know of no relative 
to whom we can apply for information, we must rest 
satisfied with what we have said, having the assur- 
ance that whilst she remained unknown to us, her 
name is recorded in the Lamb's book of life. 



GEORGE S. FEIGHNER, 

OF THE 

Class of 1856. 



Prepared by Rev. W. H. Fenneman. 

George S. Feighner was born in Stark County, 
Ohio, June 7, 1828. His early life was spent on the 
farm. Being impressed with the importance of a 
good education, he availed himself of all the oppor- 
tunities within his reach; and, having mastered the 
branches usually taught in the public schools, he 
came to Tiffin, in 1850, when the College was first 
started. 

His object, when he first entered College, was to 
prepare himself for the ministry, although he could 
not see his way clear to take a regular Classical 
Course. Being compelled to teach at intervals in 



308 THE HISTORY OF 

order that he might secure the means to continue 
his studies, he did not graduate until 1856. 

Although not the quickest in his perceptions, he 
made it a rule to study all his lessons thoroughly. 
He was one of the first members of the Excelsior 
Literary Society, and always took a deep interest in 
its prosperity. 

His moral character was unimpeachable, being 
upright in word and deed. He endeared himself 
to all with whom he became acquainted, by his uni- 
form kindness. When he differed with any one, he 
did it with such candor and frankness that no one 
could take any offense. 

After he had graduated, he changed his mind in 
reference to his life-work, and devoted himself to 
teaching, for which he had a fondness. He was 
married to Miss F. A. Jack, on the 6th of August, 
1857, w ho still survives him. 

His last sickness was lingering and painful, his 
disease being cancer of the stomach. He was a 
sufferer for eighteen months, and was confined to 
his bed for eleven weeks. He was fully resigned 
to his situation; and, after giving a sad farewell to 
his weeping tamily, he closed his eyes in death on 
the 5th of March, 1877. His body rests in Green 
Lawn Cemetery, where it will sleep quietly until 
its slumbers will be broken by the sound of the 
trumpet that will call the dead to life. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 3O9 

REV. CHARLES W. HOYMAN, 

OF THE 

Class of 1857. 



Prepai'ed by Rev, G. H. Leonard. 

Charles W. Hoyman, son of Rev. John and 
Susan Hoyman, was born in Wellersville, Pennsyl- 
vania, November 4, 1834. His father was a min- 
ister of the Reformed Church, and lived to a good 
age. The son, enjoying the advantage of Christian 
nurture, gave signs of piety at an early period of 
life. It was not, however, until he had served an 
apprenticeship in a secular calling that he felt him- 
self called to the ministry. After his mind became 
settled as to his proper vocation, he gave himself 
diligently to the work of preparation, pursuing his 
studies in our institutions at Tiffin, Ohio, where he 
graduated, in the Scientific Course, in 1857, and 
entered the Theological Seminary immediately after. 

Having completed his studies, he received and ac- 
cepted a call from the Somerset charge, consisting 
of four congregations. He was examined, licensed, 
and ordained to the gospel ministry, at a special 
meeting of the Lancaster Classis, on the nth of 
May, 1858. His call being confirmed, he immedi- 
ately entered upon his life's work. 

The condition of the charge, at the time he entered 
upon it, was anything but encouraging; but, by hard 
and persevering labor, it soon gained in strength, and 



3IO THE HISTORY OF 

became the strongest charge within the bounds of the 
Lancaster Classis. 

After laboring a little over a year in the charge, 
he was married to Miss Emma Swinehart, with 
whom he lived happily to the end of his life. Two 
children were born to them, a son and a daughter, 
both of whom are still living. 

He continued to serve the Somerset charge for 
a period of nineteen years and a half, when he felt 
it his duty to resign, on account of impaired health; 
and asked and obtained permission of the Classis, 
October 17, 1877, to retire from the active duties of 
the ministry. It was with a sad heart that he laid 
aside the armor with which he had so bravely fought 
the battles of the Lord. 

The charge numbered, when he resigned it, three 
hundred and twenty-five communicant members, and 
three hundred and eighteen baptized members — 
gathered in by the use of the appointed means of 
grace. During his pastorate in this charge, where 
he began and ended his ministry, he baptized four 
hundred and eighty-two persons, confirmed three 
hundred and thirty-four, received by letter and re- 
newal of confession eighty-two, married one hundred 
and forty-eight couples, officiated at two hundred and 
twenty-nine funerals, delivered one thousand two hun- 
dred and thirty-two catechetical lectures, gave five 
hundred and ninety-four lectures on Bible subjects, 
and preached two thousand two hundred and twelve 
sermons, from which it will be seen that he made full 
proof of his ministry. 

On the 22d of December, 1878, he received a 
severe stroke of paralysis, affecting his entire right 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 311 

side, and leaving him speechless. In this condition 
he continued for some weeks, when he received 
another stroke, on the 9th of February, affecting the 
other side. This proved fatal, and ended his earthly- 
career on the day following, being the 10th of Feb- 
ruary, 1879. He was buried on the 12th, the services 
being conducted by the members of the Lancaster 
Classis, of which he had, for many years, been a 
prominent member, Rev. J. Vogt preaching the ser- 
mon on the occasion, from the words, tl And they 
that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firma- 
ment, and they that turn many to righteousness as the 
stars forever and ever. " 

The following action was passed by the Lancaster 
Classis respecting his death : 

" Whereas, in the all- wise providence of God, our 
esteemed brother, C. W. Hoyman, has been removed 
from our midst; and, 

■" Whereas, for years his name stood prominent on 
our Classical Roll, and has always reflected honor on 
this body ; therefore, 

"Resolved, That we in humility bow to the high 
will and mandate of our Heavenly Father; and, as his 
form is here no more, but is in heaven, we now erase 
his name from the Classical Roll, but ever hold dear 
his name, engraven on our memories, as a faithful 
worker and now a sainted brother.' ' 



312 THE HISTORY OF 

DANIEL L. DUBBS, 

OF THE 

Class of 1 86 1. 



Prepared by Rev. L H. Retter } JD. D. 

We know but little of the early life of Daniel L. 
Dubbs, further than he made a public profession of 
his faith in Christ May 26, 1855, when about seven- 
teen years of age. Being impressed with the import- 
ance of a thorough education, and with the duty of 
preparing himself for the gospel ministry, he entered 
Heidelberg College on the 7th of December, 1856, 
and graduated, in the Classical Course, with the first 
honor, June 26, 1861. In the spring of 1862, he 
entered the Theological Seminary at Mercersburg, 
Pennsylvania, making good progress in his studies 
until the following September, when he felt himself 
called upon to enlist as a soldier in the Union army. 
For about one year after this, he was stationed at 
Fort Thayer, in the vicinity of Washington City. 
He was subsequently promoted to the office of Ser- 
geant, and was for a time connected with the Engi- 
neer Corps, and assisted in surveying the coast of 
the Potomac River. In the fall of 1863, he was 
taken to Regimental Headquarters as Clerk, where, 
by his fidelity and gentlemanly bearing, he soon won 
the confidence and esteem of his commanding officer 
and those around him. 

In the latter part of April, 1864, he was promoted 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 313 

to the office of Lieutenant, and was soon after called 
into active service in the field. He was with the 
Army of the Potomac during its memorable cam- 
paign under General Grant, passing safely through 
the severe battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania 
Court-house, and Cold Harbor. But, on the 17th of 
June, whilst bravely leading his men against the rebel 
works south of Petersburg, Virginia, he was mor- 
tally wounded in the hip, and died, on the 7th of 
July following, in Finley Hospital at Washington 
City. After having been buried about four months 
in the new National Cemetery at Arlington Heights, 
his remains were disinterred and brought to Miamis- 
burg, Ohio, the place of his nativity, and buried, 
November 24, 1864, in the new Cemetery. 

He was a worthy and noble young man, beloved 
and respected by all who knew him; had a good 
moral character, fine intellectual attainments, and 
good social qualities; was industrious and studious, 
truthful and sincere, and devotedly pious. As an 
inquirer after knowledge, he pursued his studies with 
unabated zeal and diligence; as a patriot, he laid 
aside, at the call of his country, all the cherished 
hopes of his life, and entered the most laborious 
arm of the service, remaining faithful at his post 
to the last; and, as a Christian, he engaged in the 
spiritual conflict with an ardor and persevering stead- 
fastness worthy of the important and blessed cause 
of his divine Master. His memory will live and be 
cherished in the threefold work in which he was en- 
gaged. As a patriot, it will live in the annals of his 
country, and in the hearts of the brave sons of free- 
dom ; as a scholar, it will shine on the records of his 



3I4 THE HISTORY OF 

Alma Mater, and on the shrine of youthful affection 
and friendship, as well as in the lives of those who 
were influenced by his instruction and example ; and, 
as a Christian, it will be perpetuated in the covenant, 
remembrance of believers, in the communion of saints, 
and in the enraptured anthems of the redeemed in 
heaven. 

He died in the prime and vigor of manhood, trust- 
ing in the Lord, and in the confident assurance of a 
blessed immortality. 



MRS. CALLIE H. HORNUNG nee SOUDER, 

OF THE 

Class of 1866. 



Prepared by Mrs, Ella Ridgely, of the same Class. 

To speak of the dead, who have left us and gone 
to the better world, is a sad and melancholy task, 
and yet it seems at times necessary to do so in order 
that we may keep their memory fresh in our recol- 
lection. It is with this object in view that I would 
make the following statements respecting our de- 
parted sister, whom none knew but to love and 
esteem. 

Callie H. Souder (her maiden name) was born in 
Tiffin, Ohio, December 14, 1848. Her parents' 
names were Francis and Caroline Souder. Her 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 315 

father died whilst she was quite young, leaving her 
education and training to a mother's care. She 
entered Heidelberg College early in life, and gradu- 
ated, scientifically, in 1866, with a class of live. 

She was married to Prof. C. Hornung, March 22, 
1870, with whom she lived happily until death sepa- 
rated them, December 8, 1876. The disease which 
terminated her earthly existence was lingering and 
painful. Everything which medical skill and kind 
attention could do for her recovery was done ; yet, 
notwithstanding all that was done, her disease grew 
worse, until frail nature yielded under the struggle. 
She bore her sufferings, which at times w T ere intense, 
with great fortitude and patience, until she at last 
yielded up the ghost, saying, " Father, into thy 
hands, I commend my spirit." 

She leaves a disconsolate husband and a sprightly 
little son to mourn the loss of a faithful wife and a 
fond mother. But what is their loss is her eternal 
gain. 

She was of a noble and generous nature, full of 
sympathy for the afflicted, kind and affectionate in 
her disposition, a true friend, and a devoted Chris- 
tian. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, 
for they shall rest from their labors, and their works 
do follow them." 



316 



THE HISTORY OF 

GEORGE W. BACHMAN, ESQ., 

OF THE 

Class of 1866. 



Shortly after the manuscript of this book was 
placed in the hands of the printer, we were startled 
with the news of the sad and unexpected death of 
George W. Bachman, Esq., of Tiffin, Ohio, thus 
adding another name to the necrological list. His 
death, which occurred on October 21, 1879, was 
very sudden, having been in his usual health the 
day on which he died, and very mysterious, his 
body having been found dead in the road near his 
residence, with certain bruises on it, with the horse 
he had been driving lying by his side. How he came 
to his death will always remain a mystery, as no one 
witnessed it. The presumption is, that in attempt- 
ing to get out of the buggy, to open the gate, he 
either had a stroke of apoplexy, to which he seemed 
predisposed, and fell helplessly to the ground, or else 
he may have become entangled in the lines in such a 
way as to fall upon his head, and, in so doing, give 
the horse such a jerk as to throw him by his side. 
But, be the cause what it may, the calamity was felt 
to be one of great severity to his family and friends, 
who were startled and shocked on hearing it. 

He was born in Wadsworth, Ohio, October 18, 
1842, and was the only child of George and Lydia 
Bachman. His mother, stricken in years, and bowed 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 317 

down under a heavy load of grief, was among the 
mourners when his body was conveyed to the grave, 
his father having died a number of years before. He 
leaves a wife and three children, with many friends, to 
mourn his sad and untimely death, which occurred at 
the age of thirty-seven years and three days, while 
yet in the prime of life. He was married to Miss 
Eugenia C. Beilharz, daughter of Dr. Charles C. 
Beilharz, of Tiffin, Ohio, November 6, 1866. 

He entered Heidelberg College in the fall of 1862, 
and graduated, in the Classical Course, in 1866. He 
applied himself diligently to his studies, and gradu- 
ated with honor to himself. When he first came 
to the College, it was with the intention of studying 
for the ministry; but, for some cause or other, he 
changed his mind by the time he graduated, and 
made choice of the legal profession. He entered 
upon the study of law under Hon. W. H. Gibson 
and R. G. Pennington, of Tiffin, Ohio, immediately 
after his graduation. He was admitted to the bar in 
1867, and opened an office, in Tiffin, in connection 
with U. F. Cramer, Esq., both young men of good 
education and promise. Being a young man of good 
address, easy manners, and attentive to his profes- 
sion, it w r as not long until he got into a lucrative 
practice, affording another proof of the oft; repeated 
remark, that the world is ready to receive and en- 
courage those who prepare themselves well for the 
positions they occupy, and are true to the trusts 
committed to their care. 

He was elected, by the suffrage of his fellow- 
citizens, to the following official positions: Prosecut- 
ing Attorney of Seneca County, Ohio ; Mayor of the 



318 THE HISTORY OF 

city of Tiffin; Infirmary Director; and member of the 
Board of Education. 

He commenced and ended his public career in 
Tiffin, where he graduated. He was highly es- 
teemed, and had many friends, not only in the 
city, but through the entire county of Seneca, and 
could have been elected to any position, being pop- 
ular with the party to which he belonged. 

He was elected, at the meeting of the Alumni 
Association of Heidelberg College, in 1879, to ^ e * 
liver the Annual Address in 1880, which duty will 
now, in -consequence of his death; fall upon his suc- 
cessor, Rev. R. Keller, Erie, Monroe County, Mich. 



FREDERICK MOYER, 

OF THE 

Class of 1867. 



Frederick Moyer, son of John and Nancy Moyer, 
was born in Rush Creek Township, Fairfield County, 
Ohio, March 22, 1844. He was baptized by Rev. 
George Weisz, May 1, 1844, and confirmed by Rev. 
N. H. Loose, November 20, 1857, then in his four- 
teenth year. He was a boy of very excellent habits, 
reared on the farm, and at an early period gave indi- 
cations of his call to the ministry. He was of a mild 
and gentle disposition, and very obedient to his par- 
ents, for whom he ever cherished due respect. As 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 3I9 

a proof of this, we may here mention an incident 
which occurred only a short time before his death. 
In a letter to his father, he stated that he could only 
recollect one instance in which he had knowingly and 
wilfully disobeyed him, and that he then felt it his 
duty to confess it, and ask forgiveness of him, as he 
had done of God. 

He came to Heidelberg College in the spring oi 
1862. Having, prior to this, had very poor educa- 
tional advantages, such as were common at that time 
in the country, consisting of a few months' schooling 
in the winter, under incompetent teachers, he was 
very far back in his studies. He, however, applied 
himself closely, made good progress, and soon gave 
evidence of excellent natural endowments. His con- 
duct, whilst he was connected with the College, was 
such as to secure the approval of his teachers, and 
the good-will of his fellow-students, with whom he 
was a favorite, Hg graduated, with honor to him- 
self, in 1867, having received, as a mark of honor, 
the Heidelberg Oration. 

In the fall of the same year, he entered the Theo- 
logical Seminary, showing the same diligence and 
making the same progress here that he did in the 
College. Being desirous of relieving his father from 
any further help, and anxious to work his own way 
through, he accepted the position of tutor in the 
College which was offered him, which he filled with 
credit to himself and satisfaction to the students gen- 
erally, upon whom he exerted a good influence by his 
manly deportment. 

He was small in stature, but possessed a warm 



320 THE HISTORY OF 

heart, and made friends of all who came under his 
influence. 

Having finished his studies preparatory to the min- 
istry, he was recommended, by his professors, to the 
Reformed Congregation at Akron, Ohio, as a person 
well qualified for the important position, and received 
a unanimous call, in the latter part of the year 1868, 
which he accepted. Wishing to spend several weeks 
with his parents and friends before he v, ould enter 
upon the active duties of the ministry, he left Tiffip. 
with the intention of visiting Fairfield County, where 
he hpped to have a pleasant time with loved ones, 
and enjoy a season of rest. Here he preached, to the 
delight of those who had long known him. After 
he had been here about ten days, he became indis- 
posed, and after a few days symptoms of typhoid 
fever, in its most malignant form, showed themselves. 
The best medical aid was employed, and all that 
human skill and affection could do was done to stay 
the ravages of disease. All, however, was to no 
purpose. He grew worse and worse, until it became 
apparent that all hopes of recovery were gone.- He 
died calmly and peacefully, in the firm hope of a better 
and more enduring inheritance in heaven, on the 24th 
of January, 1869, at the age of twenty-four years, 
ten months and twenty- two days, giving a proof of 
the oft-repeated remark, Death loves a shining mark. 

When the sad news of his death reached Tiffin, 
Akron, and other points where he was known, it 
seemed hard to realize that he was dead. A gen- 
eral expression of grief was heard on all sides. All 
felt that the Providence that called him hence, after he 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 321 

had spent years of preparation, just as he was enter- 
ing upon his life's work, was a Very mysterious one. 

He was buried in the Cemetery of the Jerusalem 
Church, of which his parents were members. Ap- 
propriate services were also held in the Chapel at 
Heidelberg College, during which many wept at the 
thought that they would see his face no more. 

The deceased was a young man of more than usual 
promise, and would, no doubt, have made his mark 
in the Church had he been spared. But, short as his 
life was, it was not a failure; for he has embalmed 
his memory and virtues in the hearts of many loving 
friends, so that, although he is dead, he yet speaks ; 
and, whilst we would drop a tear over his early death, 
we would bow in humble submission to the decree of 
God, saying, li Even so> Father; for so it seemed good 
in thy sight" 



GEORGE W. HOUCK, M. D., 

OF THE 

Class of 1868. 



The subject of this notice, George W. Houck, was 
a young man of fine parts, frank, diligent, of good 
habits, and gentlemanly deportment. He was born 
June 20, 1840, and was the son of Michael and Eliza- 
beth Houck, who lived near Canaan, Wayne County, 
Ohio. His parents were much respected and es- 
teemed in the community in which they lived, and 



21 



322 THE HISTORY OF 

were possessed of that honesty, open-heartedness, 
and religious life which belongs to and distinguishes 
the German character. The son, as might have been 
expected, was raised to work, taught to be kind and 
obedient to his parents, and to lead a quiet and peace- 
able life. He was a moral and upright young man, 
and united himself with the Reformed Church, of 
which his parents were worthy members. 

Living, as he did, in the country, his educational 
advantages were poor, so that he was necessitated to 
attend school abroad. He attended the Academy at 
Canaan a few terms, this being near home; then 
went to Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania; and subse- 
quently came to Heidelberg College, in 1866, took 
the Scientific Course, and graduated in 1868. 

He was a very fair student, studied closely, and 
was attentive in the recitation-room ; so that, whilst 
he was not a young man of what might be called 
brilliant talents and quick perception, he still made 
good progress by close application and untiring dili- 
gence. His deportment at College was very good, 
so that he was highly esteemed by the professors 
and students generally. 

He early made choice of the profession of medi- 
cine, and had his mind fixed very intently upon it, 
as was evident from his compositions and orations 
whilst attending College, most of which had some 
bearing upon it. He was an amateur in this respect, 
and would not be long in the society of any one 
without indicating the peculiar bent of his mind. 

After he graduated in Heidelberg College, he im- 
mediately began to read medicine, and attended two 
courses of lectures in Cleveland, Ohio. Wishing to 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 323 

prepare himself fully for his life's work, he went to 
New York, and was there under the instruction of 
Prof. Flint, for several months. Having enjoyed 
and improved these advantages, he felt that he was 
prepared for work, and located in Akron, Ohio, 
where he had good prospects of working himself 
into practice in a short time. But it soon became 
apparent to himself and friends that his health was 
in such a precarious condition that duty required him 
to abandon his practice, for the time being, and seek 
rest and quiet. He accordingly returned to the home 
of his parents, where he hoped, in a short time, to 
recuperate his strength, and build up his shattered 
constitution. His hopes were not realized. He 
gradually grew worse and weaker, and, after suffer- 
ing about six months, he died, on the 2d of April, 
1 87 1, to the sorrow and regret of his many friends. 

He was a young man of promise, and, had he 
lived, he would, no doubt, have been useful in his 
profession. His kindness of heart and upright de- 
portment would have gained him friends wherever he 
might have located. But God's ways are not our 
ways. He had scarcely entered upon his profession, 
after years of preparation, when he was necessitated 
to give it up, much as his heart was set upon it, and 
died, at the early age of thirty years and ten months, 
and was buried near the home of his parents and of 
his boyhood, giving another illustration of the sad 
truth, that 

" Life is but a winter's day, a journey to the tomb." 

But, short as his life was, it has pleasant memories 
associated with it, which lead us to indulge in the 
pleasing hope that his spirit has gone 

"Where the rivers of pleasure flow over the bright plains, 
And the noontide of glory eternally reigns." 



324 THE HISTORY OF 

REV. S. N. L. KESSLER, 

OF THE 

Class of 1868. 



Prepared by Rev. Scott F. Hers hey. 

On the morning of the 15th of April, 1879, R- ev * 
S. N. L. Kessler departed this life, at his residence, 
in Mulberry, Indiana, aged thirty-three years and 
nine days. His life was checkered and stormy. He 
was born in Philadelphia, April 6, 1846. After losing 
his father, Rev. Christian Rudolph Kessler, at the 
early age of eight years, he spent a short time at 
school, after which we find him, successively, a 
military student, a soldier in the late war, a school 
teacher, a student at Mercersburg, and then in Hei- 
delberg College, where he graduated in 1868. 

As a student, although he did not, and, perhaps, 
could not, from his impulsive and restless nature, 
apply himself closely to the book, he, nevertheless, 
made great progress, possessed, as he was, of an 
intuitive mind, which carried a high pressure and 
worked rapidly. In College and social life, he made 
intimate and lasting friendships, and also created 
dislikes by his independent bearing and fondness for 
debate. It was, however, in his professional life, 
after he left College, that the strong points in his 
character developed themselves. 

He had a mind logical in its construction and 
methodical in its work. There was, as it were, 
an irresistible mechanism of brain that gave a cer- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. $2$ 

tain original mannerism to all his labor. When once 
occupied with a subject, he was able, at a glance, to 
grasp it in all its bearings. He was not a student 
of books, but of current literature and thought, 
so that he was well informed upon most subjects. 
Asking him, on one occasion, what he read, he re- 
plied, "Everything" and answered truly. And yet, 
although his mind was comprehensive in its grasp, 
it was not superficial or flashy. 

An honest conviction of purpose, a determined ad- 
herence to right, and an unbridled hatred for cant, 
characterized the fine parts of his individualism. He 
was eloquent and original in thought and manner, 
and was always conscious of his strength, which 
enabled him to be master of every situation. It is 
only given to a few to have, in such vast propor- 
tions, the wonderful pulpit powers which he pos- 
sessed. His sermons were always short, crisp, 
pointed and decided. He selected for his texts pas- 
sages unthought of by the majority of clergymen. 
A striking introduction, clear Statements, fine descrip- 
tion, and gathering the whole up in the neat gospel 
focus of Christ all in all, made him one of the most 
popular and successful ministers. 

In the homes of his friends, his childlike and play- 
ful disposition brought out the warmest friendship, 
and those who knew him, in such places and rela- 
tions, may not soon meet his equal, He may have 
had faults, and, doubtless, had weaknesses ; but only 
those whose minds are dwarfed, or whose hearts are 
selfish, or whose spirits are envious, will hunt for 
errors and faults where there is such an abundance 
of grace, beauty and strength. 



326 THE HISTORY OF 

His ministry in the Mulberry charge, which he 
served for some ten years, was a decided success. 
The congregation increased rapidly in strength and 
efficiency, so that the charge was quite strong at 
the time of his death, and ought to have been di- 
vided. And it may be that the immense drain that 
was made upon his physical energies by the exces- 
sive labor he performed hastened his death, which 
was very unexpected. 

He was married, in November, 1869, to Miss 
Jennie Hull, daughter of Rev. J. H. Hull, of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, with whom he had 
one child, Williard Kessler, a boy of promise. 

He was a warm friend of Heidelberg College, and 
used his influence to get his charge to contribute 
largely to the endowment of the Alumni Professor- 
ship, as the records of the College will show. He 
was also chosen the orator to deliver the annual ad- 
dress before the Alumni Association, in 1874, which 
he did with credit to himself and to the satisfaction 
of his fellow- Alumni. He was a man of promise, 
and, if his life had been spared, would have made 
his mark in the Church. 

His death was very sudden, he having only been 
confined to his bed a few days, admonishing us to 
be also ready, as we know not the day nor hour in 
which the Son of man will come. 

"Many an oak is blasted on its way, 
Many a growing hope is overthrown : 
What might have been, his early growth had shown; 
What was, our love, our tears for him may tell; 
He lived, he toiled, he faded, and he fell." 

His funeral was a remarkable event. It is said there 
were nineteen ministers present, five hundred car- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 327 

riages, and at least one thousand four hundred people 
who did not get seats in the church, from which 
the reader may judge of the impression which his 
death made. 



REV. AMOS F. ZARTMAN, 

OF THE 

Class of 1 87 1. 



Prepared by Rev. M. Loucks, of the same Class. 

Amos F. Zartman, son of Levi and Sarah Zart- 
man, of Glenford, Perry County Ohio, was born 
May 13, 1846, and was baptised by Rev. S. S. Rick- 
ley, on the 28th of June following. His father was, 
for a number of years, an elder in the St. Paul's 
congregation, was diligent in the performance of his 
Christian duties, and brought up his children in the 
nurture and admonition of the Lord.. It was but 
natural that Amos should early consecrate himself 
to the Lord under such religious influence. He 
was accordingly confirmed, and admitted to the full 
privileges, of church membership, in the fall of 1862, 
by the Rev. C. W. Hoyman. It was not long after 
this that the desire of becoming a minister began to 
manifest itself. 

With nothing more than the limited advantage of 
the common schools, he advanced beyond the aver- 
age, and soon had the thirst for knowledge quickened 



328 THE HISTORY OF 

in him to such an extent as to desire to take a regu- 
lar course of study, and entered Heidelberg College 
in the fall of 1866. 

He was an earnest and diligent student, and made 
commendable progress in all his studies. Like many 
others, he had to encounter severe trials and self- 
denials, which, instead of disheartening, only made 
him the more determined to keep climbing the hill 
of science, until its lofty summit lay at his feet. He 
toiled long and hard to equip himself thoroughly for 
the great and responsible work he had in view, and 
so directed his studies as to make them of the most 
practical account. 

Our associations as classmates will ever occupy a 
bright spot in the remembrance of the years we 
spent together preparing ourselves for the same call- 
ing in life. His deportment and grade of scholar- 
ship were above the average student. His life was 
consistent, and characterized by true manliness in all 
he said and did. He abstained from all that was low 
and debasing, stood aloof from tricks and boyishness, 
and stood firm in his integrity. 

Socially, he was excelled by none of his compan- 
ions. We now call to mind many hours of delightful 
social intercourse whilst we were pursuing our stu- 
dies together. He was a companion to whom you 
could entrust with safety the profoundest secret. As 
a classmate, he was true, obliging and esteemed. 
His courage never failed him under all the discour- 
agements he had to contend with. He prosecuted 
his studies for nearly six years, with untiring zeal and 
energy, notwithstanding the trials he had in the loss 
of friends and want of means. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 329 

He graduated, Classically, June, 1871, with a class 
of eight, and was appointed Valedictorian, an honor 
which he well deserved. He entered the Theological 
Seminary fully in the fall of the same year, having 
had some studies in it during his Senior year in the 
College. 

He was examined, licensed, and ordained to the 
gospel ministry, by the Synod of Ohio, on the 5th 
of May, 1872, during its annual session in Canton, 
Ohio. Having received and accepted a call from 
the Reformed Congregation of Wooster, Ohio, he at 
once entered upon the duties thereof, making full 
proof of his ministry. He was a faithful and effi- 
cient pastor, and greatly loved and esteemed by those 
whom he served in the Lord. His sermons gave 
evidence of the thorough culture and discipline of 
mind which he secured whilst connected with the 
College and Theological Seminary. Having, natu- 
rally, a delicate constitution, with a predisposition to 
pulmonary affection, it soon became apparent that his 
work on earth would be of short duration. After 
serving the congregation at Wooster acceptably a 
little over two years, he was compelled to resign on 
account of failing health, in the hope that a short 
respite from the active duties of the ministry would 
enable him to regain his wonted strength. Various 
remedies were resorted to to stay the ravages of 
disease. All, however, was to no purpose. He 
continued to grow weaker until death claimed him 
as its victim, on the 29th of April, 1875, at the 
age of twenty-eight years, eleven months and six- 
teen days, whilst in the prime and vigor of manhood. 

He was married to Miss Mary E. Poorman, of 



330 THE HISTORY OF 

Tiffin, Ohio, on the 2d of July, 1873, who shared 
with him the joys and sorrows of life for a brief 
period, when death dissolved the relation that ex- 
isted so pleasantly between them, leaving her to 
mourn over his early death and the sad loss she was 
called to endure. 

It is really sad to see one so young in years, with 
the qualifications he had to serve the Church in her 
most responsible positions, removed so soon, when 
his labors seemed so much needed. But God's ways 
are not our ways ; and however dark and mysterious 
they seem to us, they are still all right, and directed 
with infinite wisdom, so that it becomes us to bow in 
humble submission, saying, " Not our willy but thine 
be done" 



REV. WILLIAM HERR, 

OF THE 

Class of 1872. 



Prepared by Rev. E. R. Williard, of the same Class. 

The remembrance of the dead is one of the most 
sacred offices of the living, as it is not only a proof 
that sincere and genuine affection reigns in the beat- 
ing heart, but is also an evidence of what there was 
of character and worth in the departed. Impressed 
with a sense of this duty in reference to our fellow- 
Alumnus, Rev. William Herr, of the Class of 1872, 
who has left our ranks on earth to join the general 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 331 

assembly and Church of the first-born in heaven, this 
memorial is prepared in the hope that it may contrib- 
ute to the perpetuation of his remembrance in the 
hearts of those with whom he was closely allied. 

William Herr was born in Allen County, Indiana, 
August I, 1848. Of his early life we know but 
little, except that he passed through youth in phys- 
ical health and strength, and, under good home influ- 
ences, was preserved from the vices and snares so 
peculiar to youth, and that he became a strong, good, 
virtuous man. 

May 24th, 1863, he made a public profession of 
religion, and became a member of the First Reformed 
Church, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, which fact is men- 
tioned, as it undoubtedly had its bearing upon his 
choice of his profession and life-work. Soon after 
this he removed with his parents to Crawford County, 
Ohio. In 1868 he came to Heidelberg College, and 
entered upon the Classical course of study, where, 
after four years of patient and faithful toil, he gradua- 
ted in the Class of 1872. During the latter part of 
his Collegiate course he pursued some theological 
studies, and went out from the Seminary in 1873 to 
assume the duties and responsibilities of the Christian 
ministry. May 22d, 1873, he was married to Miss 
Emma Von Blon, of Tiffin, Ohio, who, with two sons 
and two daughters, still survives him. 

The first field of labor that he sewed was the Bro- 
ken Sword charge in Crawford County, Ohio, where 
he labored during four years with earnest and perse- 
vering zeal and commendable success. June 10th, 
1877, he entered upon the pastorate of the Marion 
charge at Prospect, Marion County, Ohio, where he 



332 THE HISTORY OF 

gave himself to the work of preaching the gospel and 
pastoral Christian labor up to the time of his death. 
His classmates and college companions will no doubt 
remember that, in the latter part of his Collegiate 
course, he had a severe and protracted illness, with an 
attack of typhoid fever. This same enemy returned 
and renewed the struggle in the fall of 1878, but this 
time it came to claim his life. His final illness com- 
menced with numerous slight fevers, weakening the 
body and inducing a more and more aggravated dis^ 
eased state of the system. Sunday, September 8th, 
he gathered up his remaining strength and preached 
to two of his congregations. The following Tuesday 
he was confined to his bed, and a malignant fever set 
in, with plain symptoms of a typhoid character. This 
continued for a week before his friends were seriously 
alarmed, and then death came on fast. He feared 
not the last great struggle, but with calm composure 
made appropriate arrangements for the funeral serv- 
ices that would be held after his decease. On Thurs- 
day, Sept. 19th, 1878, at 10 P. M., death came to 
relieve him, and, in the night of earth, 'he went to the 
unfading brightness of heaven. On Sunday afternoon, 
September 22d, his body was laid away in the Ceme- 
tery at Galion, Ohio, by the hands of his fellow- 
ministers, gathered from the charges near by. His 
age was thirty years, one month, and eighteen days. 

Having dwelt at such length upon the outlines of 
his life, we can not attempt to fully delineate his 
character in all its varied excellent traits. We can 
only give a brief summary of his most prominent 
characteristics. All who knew William Herr will 
remember him as one who endeavored to walk accord- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 333 

ing to the dictates of a pure and good conscience ; 
one who was modest and faithful in the social relation 
of life ; one who toiled hard wherever he labored, 
and, by dint of persevering and persistent work, 
carved out for himself an honorable place in the pro- 
fession to which he gave his life-energies. He was a 
good man, honest and true, who frowned on deceit 
and whatever -was wrong, as an angel would frown on 
the devil. He was one that builded for eternity— 
not simply for the changing flatteries of human life. 
Let him, then, sleep the sleep of death in his quiet 
grave ; his memory lives in the hearts of his friends 
and associates, and the truth he proclaimed is blos- 
soming and fruitening in the lives and characters of 
those whom he served as a minister of Christ. 



D. F. KELLER, 

OF THE 

Class of 1872. 



Prepared by Rev. E. R. Williard y of the same Class. 

When the Class of 1872, embracing fifteen young 
men of noble physical appearance, and of pure and 
lofty ambition, filed on the stage in the National Hall 
of Tiffin, at the Commencement exercises of Wed- 
nesday and Thursday evenings, June 19th and 20th, 
no one in that large audience would have thought of 
selecting D. F. Keller as the first victim of death in 



334 THE HISTORY OF 

that interesting band of young men. He was appar- 
ently the strongest and heartiest in the whole class, 
was full of energy and vim, had consecrated his life 
to the Lord Jesus Christ, and now seemed to be gird- 
ing on his armor and sword, that he might go out 
upon the moral and spiritual battle-field of the world, 
and there do heroic service for his Master. There 
were those in that little band of fifteen, whose wan 
faces showed the hard study and patient toil in 
which they had disciplined themselves during their 
College course ; others were not naturally rugged 
and stout in physique ; others were so young that 
they had not yet fully waked up to the bustling hurry 
and determined energy of the real struggle of life ; 
but not so with D. F. Keller. He had studied faith- 
fully, a^id had given himself to practical efforts outside 
of his College course more than any others of his 
class. Bodily exercise gave a ruddy glow to his 
cheeks, and a fresh healthy coloring to his counten- 
ance, and at the age which he had then reached, the 
youthful fire of a consecrated heart burned brightly on 
the altar of his soul, and diffused its warm, cheerful 
light all over his countenance. It was a most charm- 
ing and interesting scene, and occurred at a period 
when we are apt to take appearance for reality, and 
confidently predict a long and useful life for one of 
this age, while back of the seemingly healthful coun- 
tenance, the physical energies are already being fast 
consumed, and the pillars of bodily strength are being 
overturned by the Samson of death. So it proved 
with D. F. Keller, for even then, in the midst of ap- 
parent good health, and back of the robust and stout 
physical appearance, the elements of life were crum- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 335 

bling, and disease was undoubtedly taking hold of the 
reins. One Commencement he graduated so nobly 
and hopefully ; the second following Commencement 
he was gently and peacefully laid away beneath the 
cool shade and green sod of Maple Grove Cemetery, 
by the loving hands of true and tried classmates. 

Daniel Frederick Keller was born near Tiffin, Sen- 
eca County, Ohio, March 14, 1847. He enjoyed 
excellent parental influence in his early life, and the 
home-circle was one of the most potent factors in 
developing the character which began to unfold itself 
so grandly and hopefully in later years. The Home, 
the College, and the Church, we believe to have been 
three of the most powerful influences in molding and 
determining his character and life ; their influence be- 
ing in the order named. Daniel received thorough 
catechetical instruction in the doctrines of religion, 
as taught in the Reformed Church,' under the pastor- 
ate of Rev. L. H. Kefauver, D.D., and on the 25th 
of March, 1864, he was received as a member of the 
First Reformed Church, of Tiffin, Ohio, in which he 
maintained a faithful membership until the day of his 
death. In the year 1867, under the encouragement 
and influences of parents and friends, his thoughts 
were turned toward the importance of securing an 
education, so as to become qualified for greater use- 
fulness and happiness in life. Accordingly, he en- 
tered Heidelberg College in the fall of 1867. The same 
year he became a member of the Excelsior Literary 
Society, in which he was always recognized as a zeal- 
ous, honorable and influential member. He pursued 
the regular Classical Course ; was prompt, regular and 
studious in discharging his various College duties, 



336 THE HISTORY OF 

and was highly esteemed for his social qualities and 
earnestness of purpose. 

Toward the latter part of his College course he 
took a very active interest in practical work outside 
of the College, such as Sunday-schools and Young 
Men's Christian Associations. In this he undoubt- 
edly erred ; for, while the work was commendable in 
itself, and while he undoubtedly accomplished much 
good through these efforts, they engrossed his atten- 
tion to such an extent that he overtaxed himself, 
both physically and mentally, in endeavoring to keep 
up all his College work faithfully, and, in addition 
thereto, pursue some studies in the Seminary, carry 
on Mission Sunday-schools, perfect the organization 
of the Seneca County Sunday-school Union, and 
help in various other good enterprises ; for, while he 
was burdening himself so heavily with the anxiety 
and actual effort, which one so sincere and earnest as 
he would naturally give to such labors, he was fast 
consuming his youthful energies. 

In the graduating exercises, the Faculty assigned 
him the Valedictory, and, on the evening of June 
20th, 1872, he delivered his graduating oration on 
"The Mutual Relation between Civilization and 
Christianity," closing with a touching valedictory. 
After graduating from the College, he entered the 
Seminary, and pursued the course of study as long as 
his health would permit. Most of the year 1873 
was spent in theological studies, in connection with 
the Sunday-school and the Young Men's Christian 
Association work. In 1872 he attended the Inter- 
national Sunday-school Convention at Indianapolis, 
Indiana, where the international series of Sunday- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 337 

school lessons was first projected. In the following 
year he made an extensive trip to Illinois and Minne- 
sota, for the improvement of his health. It was dur- 
ing this trip, while on the way down the Mississippi, 
that he met an aged physician who gave him some 
advice, which, being followed, gave him considerable 
relief, and filled him with hope again. The relief, 
however, was but temporary, and, as a last resort, on 
the 9th of March, 1874, he left home for Denver, 
Colorado. There his health seemed to improve very 
much, but, when the acclimating process set in, his 
physical constitution gave way very rapidly, and, on 
the 4th of June, 1874, he exchanged worlds, at the 
age of twenty-seven years, two months and twenty- 
one days. His remains were brought back to Tiffin, 
Ohio, " and, on Commencement Day, Wednesday, 
June 10th, 1874, were gently laid away in the grave, 
in the blessed hope of a glorious resurrection. His 
classmates constituted the pall-bearers; his former 
College and Seminary professors joined in the last 
earthly rites ; and his pastor, who had instructed and 
Confirmed him, bore testimony to the enduring 
worth of his character and life, in a sermon based 
upon Romans xii. 1. 

Daniel F. Keller was a good and useful young man. 
He has illustrated in his own life the great truth that 
we ought early to give our hearts and lives to the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and that, in youth as well as 
in manhood and old age, professing Christians 
ought to be Christians in usefulness and character. 
He w T as generous, kind and social ; full of ambition 
and energy ; one who was bent upon carrying out 

what his mind conceived ; he was an intelligent, 
22 



338 THE HISTORY OF 

prayerful and devout young man ; and, though his 
lamp of life burned only a comparatively short time, 
it burned brightly while it was lighted and fed by 
human energies and divine mercies. His impulsive- 
ness and excessive ambition were his greatest faults' ; 
but even these were the faults of such a generous na- 
ture that forbids censure. His great and absorbing 
ambition was to glorify Christ, and the deep regret 
we would utter over the memory of our friend and 
classmate is, that he was not permitted to enter the 
ministry, and there become a still greater Daniel than 
was possible in his short life. O Righteous Father, 
"thou knowest my service which I have done thee." 



PHILIP B. KING, 

OF THE 

Class of 1872. 



When we had supposed that the sad task of pre- 
paring memorials of the departed alumni of Heidel- 
berg College was done, and we had stated in the 
Preface that there were fourteeii in all, we were much 
surprised to hear of the unexpected death of Philip 
B. King, Esq. , in the distant State of California, add- 
ing- one more to the number. His death was unex- 
pected to himself and friends, coming at an hour 
when it was not looked for ; affording another illus- 
tration of the uncertainty of life. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 339 

Not having received the news of his decease until 
we were ready to place these memorials into the hands 
of the printer, we did not have the time to gather 
the particulars of his life and death as we desired ; so 
that the account which is here given is necessarily- 
short and incomplete. He was born in the vicinity 
of Tiffin, Ohio, received a meager common-school 
education, and then entered Heidelberg College, 
taking the Scientific Course, in which he graduated 
in 1872. 

He was apt in his studies, fixed in his opinions, de- 
termined in his purposes, and prided himself in doing 
well what he undertook. He early made choice of 
the profession of law, and studied with George W. 
Bachman, Esq., of Tiffin, Ohio, and died October 
16th, 1879, only five days before his preceptor in 
law, a remarkable coincidence. His age, at the time 
of his death, was twenty-eight years, seven months 
and ten days, occurring in the prime and vigor of 
his manhood. 

He was married sometime in 1875, and started 
shortly after to California, to seek his fortune in this 
Eldorado. Being affable in his manners, winning in 
his ways, and easily approachable, he was not long 
in becoming acquainted, and made himself many 
friends, and was elected District Attorney in the fall 
of 1876. 

He located at Merced, California, made rapid 
progress in his profession, having been naturally 
adapted to it, and had, at the time of his death, a 
good reputation as a lawyer, as may be inferred from 
the resolutions passed by the Bar of Merced at his 
death. 



340 THE HISTORY OF 

The disease which terminated his life was con- 
sumption, and was not, at the time, regarded danger- 
ous, his wife having left a few months before on a 
visit to friends in Ohio; but, as is not unfrequently 
the case, death came when it was not expected, and 
claimed him as its victim. 

The following letter from him to the President of 
Heidelberg College, dated April nth, 1878, will be 
read with interest, giving, as it does, an idea of his 
spirit and disposition: 

"It is often said, a good deed is better done late 
than never; and I cheerfully grant, that if there be 
anything meritorious or acceptable in my writing you 
a letter, it should have been done long ago, when I 
consider the many obligations your kindness and so. 
licitude placed me under during the five years I was 
under your care and instruction. 

"It is now two years since we parted, during which 
time I came to Merced, knowing no one, and unknown 
to all. I have gone through the period of probation 
and idleness which is the lot of persons seeking a live- 
lihood in a strange country (thank God it was rather 
a short one), and am now the Prosecuting Attorney 
of the county, and have a valuable legal practice 
besides. 

' * Merced is one hundred and forty miles by rail- 
road from the city of San Francisco, and is the point 
where tourists to the famous Yosemite Valley ex- 
change the cars for the stage on their journey. It is 
in the heart of the great valley of the San Joaquin 
River, one of the most fertile grain growing regions 
of the State. Our prospects for a good crop are ex- 
cellent, having had plenty of rain during the winter. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 341 

i 

We never have* any snow here, although plenty can 
be seen in the hottest days on the tops of the Sierra 
Nevada and Coast Range peaks. 

\ * I wish I could be with you at the coming Com- 
mencement in June. Please remember me, on this 
occasion, to all, especially the professors, and my old 
classmates of 1872, hoping, that if this letter is con- 
sidered worthy an answer, I may hear from you at 
your convenience. Again, thanking you and the 
Faculty of Heidelberg College for the many favors 
I received at your hands, I remain, 

" Yours sincerely, P. B. King." 



LENIUS MELVILLE TURNER, 

OF THE 

Class of 1873. 



Prepared by Rev. R. Keller, of the same Class. 

Lenius Melville Turner was a young man ot 
fine parts, and of a noble disposition. He seems 
to have been early impressed with the idea of get- 
ting a good education, and of fitting himself for the 
profession of law, notwithstanding his father was a 
physician. He was a student at Oberlin for a short 
time, and came from there to Heidelberg College, 
in which he graduated with a class of nine, in 1873, 
in the Scientific Course. Already, during the Sen- 
ior year, the disease which at last terminated his 



342 THE HISTORY OF 

life, began to prey upon his manly form, yet not 
so as to prevent him from giving due attention to 
his studies. But, in the latter part of 1873 and be- 
ginning of 1874, it became apparent that he would, 
ere long, be a victim of consumption. The em- 
ployment of the best medical aid bringing him no 
relief, he took a trip to the far West as a last re- 
sort, hoping that a change of climate would bring 
the wished-for remedy. His anticipations were hope- 
ful, as he seemed to think that this change was all 
that was necessary to bring the coveted boon of 
health. But, alas! his anticipations were not real- 
ized, notwithstanding he reached the distant West 
in comparative safety, the trip having been deferred 
too long to be of any substantial benefit, his system 
not having sufficient vital force to withstand the 
shock of acclimation. His hopes not being real- 
ized, he summoned what strength he had in return- 
ing to his home in Columbus Grove, Ohio, that he 
might die in the midst of friends and kindred, who 
would lay him gently in the grave. He survived 
only a few days after his return home. We do not 
know the exact date of his death. 

His personal character, while at College, had no 
very marked features. He was not what might be 
called a book-worm, and yet he always stood fair 
in his class by virtue of his quick perceptive facul- 
ties and native genius. He was affable and winning 
in his manners, which made him popular with the 
professors and students. 

He was fluent and ready as a speaker, and never 
failed to gain the attention of his audience when he 
spoke. He was a prominent and useful member of 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 343 

the Heidelberg Literary Society, and did much to 
advance its interests. 

He commenced the study of law in the office of 
N. L. Brewer, Esq., of Tiffin, Ohio, shortly after 
his graduation, and remained with him for about 
one year, when he was very reluctantly compelled 
to abandon it for a season, in the hope of recruiting 
his health, which had now become alarming. He 
was diligent and attentive to the study of law, as he 
had been while attending College, and made himself 
useful to^his preceptor in a variety of ways. 

While the law was the field in which he delighted 
to roam, he was, at the same time, a great reader of 
history, which he regarded as very necessary to suc- 
cess in his profession. 

His oration at graduation, which was a defense of 
the legal profession, did not only show the direction 
in which his mind ran, but also gave evidence of the 
culture and discipline which he had attained whilst in 
attendance at College. 

The following resolutions were adopted by the 
Alumni Association of Heidelberg College respect- 
ing his death : 

1. "Resolved, That in the early death of Lenius 
Melville Turner the College has lost a worthy repre- 
sentative. 

2. "That this association has been bereft of a 
friend and brother. 

I 3. "That the Class of '73 has had taken from its 
ranks one whose attainments, generosity and magna- 
nimity entitled him to its respect and fond memories 
for the future. 

4. "That while a friend and brother has been 



344 THE HISTORY OF 

taken from this association, we hope what seemed 
to be death was but the happy transition to the 
bright and eternal association of the redeemed in 
heaven. 

5. ''That much as we feel the shock, and mourn 
our loss, and mysterious as God's providence may 
be, yet we rejoice together that the feeling of loss, 
the tear of sorrow, the mysteries of God's ways, 
may all, if apprehended in the light of Christian 
truth and faith, have its fruitage for our temporal 
and eternal good. • • 



IMOGEN MILLER, 

OF THE * 

Class of 1875. 



Prepared by Rev. R. B. Moore. 

Miss Imogen Miller, one of the deceased alum- 
ni of Heidelberg College, was the daughter of Colonel 
C. H. and Isabel Miller. She was born in Shelby 
County, Illinois, on the 10th of April, 1856. She 
was taken by her parents to Lincoln, Illinois, when 
about three months old, where the family had their 
home until November, 1873, when they removed to 
Tiffin, Ohio. 

Imogen had attended the private and public schools 
in Lincoln until in the summer of 1873, when she 
spent about three months in the Lincoln University. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 345 

Upon coming to Tiffin, she was anxious immediately 
to pursue her studies, and entered Heidelberg % in 
November, the same month of her arrival in Tiffin. 

She entered the Sophomore Class, taking the Sci- 
entific Course, and graduated with eighteen class- 
mates, in June, 1875. She was a faithful student, 
and acquitted herself well in all her studies, graduating 
with honor, being chosen Valedictorian of her class. 

In addition to her College studies she was, all the 
while, taking lessons in music, and practicing each 
day upon her piano. She was, indeed, remarkable 
for her energy, independence and perseverance. It 
was a fixed purpose in her mind not to be dependent 
upon her loving parents, or upon any one, for the 
necessaries and comforts of life. On a certain occa- 
sion, in the class-room, when the President had spok- 
en of the fact that many were willing to be depend- 
ent, and to be supported by parents and friends, she 
said with emphasis : ' ' That will never be me. " This 
purpose of self-support she sought to fit herself for 
carrying out. When but thirteen years old she de- 
sired to be educated in music in order to teach it. 
She loved it, and became very proficient in it, playing 
with grace and sweetness both upon the piano and 
organ. She taught music for about three years, 
proving her ability to provide for herself, according 
to her purpose. She presided at the organ, in the 
Sabbath-schools and in the public services — for a time 
in the Presbyterian Church, and then for about a year 
in the Baptist Church, of Tiffin. 

But few persons possess such indomitable energy 
and strength of will. She persevered in the face of 
any difficulty, and of her own physical weakness. 



346 THE HISTORY OF 

Had her physical organism been equal to her inner 
force of purpose and character, she must have become 
a woman marked for activity and usefulness. And 
with all her strength of will she went forward pleas- 
antly, manifesting the sweetest of dispositions in all 
her ways. She carried the sunshine with her. In 
her home she was most affectionate and thoughtful, 
as a daughter and as a sister. 

A notice of her life and character must be incom- 
plete that would fail to give prominence to her 
Christian faith. All her other characteristics were 
permeated by that Christian life which welled up in 
her soul. She was religiously inclined from childhood, 
and showed a disposition corresponding to this incli- 
nation. But, from the time she gave herself to Christ, 
her life seemed to flow in a new channel. It was 
when she was about sixteen years old, and during 
some union religious services in Lincoln, that she 
was brought especially to long for salvation. One 
day in her school-room, she attained such views of 
Jesus as brought peace to her soul. She soon con- 
fessed him openly as her Savior; and ever after 
sought daily that grace which would enable her to 
serve him. She was blest remarkably with a sense of 
God's presence and love. She had her struggles with 
the tempter ; but the cheerfulness of faith and hope 
prevailed over doubts and fears. During the last 
several years of her life she grew rapidly in meetness 
for heaven. The desire to please God and be found 
in Christ seemed to pervade her daily life. She was 
always ready to confess Christ in the presence of be- 
liever or unbeliever. She considered God's hand in 
all his providences toward her ; and such was her de- 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 347 

light in him, that the visible things about her were 
overcast with beauty thereby. The last thing she 
wrote in her dairy were these words : "I want to be 
controlled and governed by God's will. O what a 
fight I have had ! But thanks be to God for his un- 
speakable gift." 

She died on the morning of the 4th of July, 1879. 
She had been failing in health for about a year and a 
half, largely the result of her overtasking zeal in the 
cause of the Master. Yet she had strong faith, and 
still hoped to regain her health that she might be 
helpful to others here. But when only a little over 
twenty -three years of age, she passed away, to regain 
that perfected health, 

" Where seraphs gather immortality, 
Fast by the throne of God." 

THE END. 



HEIDELBERG COLLEGE. 



Heidelberg College has been in existence more than a quarter of a century, 
and has done good service in the cause of education. It is the oldest institution 
of the Reformed Church in the West, having been founded in 1850, and has all 
along enjoyed a good attendance. 

It has two courses of study in the College proper — a Scientific and a Classical; 
the former three and the latter four years. It also gives special attention to those 
studies which are usually taught in a Normal Course, and has sent out many ex- 
cellent teachers. The course of study in these several departments is thorough 
and complete. ^ 

There is also an Academic Department connected with the College, under the 
direct supervision of Prof. O. A. S. Hursh, in which the elementary branches are 
taught, and where special attention is given to those who may desire to fit them- 
selves for the College. 

The Professors (seven in number) are all experienced teachers, most of them 
having been engaged in the work for many years, and have made a specialty of 
the several departments which they fill. 

•Heidelberg College has now on the list of its Alumni nearly two hundred names, 
many of whom are filling important places in the Church and State; and points to 
these as furnishing the best proof of the thoroughness of its instruction, and its 
adaptedness to fit the youth of the day for the responsibilities of life. 

Young gentlemen and ladies wishing to obtain a good education will find advant- 
ages in Heidelberg College equal to those of the other colleges of the State; so that 
those, especially, who live within its reach should not think of going abroad when 
they have such facilities near at home. 

Whilst the College is in no sense sectarian, but admits all equally to its privileges 
irrespective of denominational distinctions, it has special claims upon the member- 
ship of the Reformed Church, many of whom have^ contributed to its endowment, 
and have scholarships which entitle them to free tuition for their children. 

The expenses are very moderate, more so than in other institutions of similar 
grade. Boarding can be had at the Hall, on the Campus, for $2.25 per week; and 
rooms can be had in the College Buildings at the rate of $10 per year, when two 
occupy the same room. Boarding, in private families, including room, furnished, 
for $3.00 per week. Those who choose to board themselves reduce their expenses 
still further. 

Scholarships can be obtained for two years' free tuition for $30; three years for 
$40; and four years for $50. Books can be had at reduced prices; so that the 
entire expense of boarding, room-rent, light and fuel need not exceed $175 per year. 

The College is open alike to both sexes. There are also good accommodations for 
ladies in the Hall, which was erected for their special benefit. The boarding for 
ladies, with rooms comfortably furnished, is put at the reduced price of $3.25, in- 
cluding light and fuel. 

_ There are also special advantages afforded to those who may wish to give par- 
ticular attention to the study of the German, a language rich in thought and of 
great practical value in a country like this, where there are so many who speak it. 

Parents may rest assured that special attention will be given to the conduct and 
habits of their children whilst at College, and that their moral and religious wants 
will be provided for when placed under the direct care of the authorities. 

The attendance upon the College in the past is the best evidence of the claims it 
has upon the public for a generous support. By a reference to the Catalogue, 
it will be seen that there has been an average attendance of about 180 annually, a 
number sufficiently large to show the high standing of the College, and yet not so 
large as to render it impossible to do full justice to the students generally. 

The city of Tiffin has many advantages as a seat of learning. It has an enter- 
prising and intelligent popula on of about 10,000 inhabitants; is healthy, and 
affords many religious privileges, having quite a number of churches. 

There are three Terms in the Collegiate year: The first begins the first Wednes- 
day of September, and continues 12 weeks; the Winter Term 16, and the Soring- 
12 weeks. & 

There are the usual literary societies connected with the College, for the im- 
provement °f tne students in composition and oratory. Also a good library. 
jt-j jnvite parents, and young gentlemen and ladies, to consider the claims of 
« C J i. S College, and to give it their patronage, assuring them that they will 
nnd things as herein represented. 

Any one wishing further information will please address the President, Rev. Geo. 
W. Williard, D. D., Tiffin, Ohio, - 








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